The Tamaqua Public Library offered a number of crafts and activities as part of the annual Tamaqua Spirit of Christmas Festival earlier this month. Visitors could decorate cookies, make ornaments, relax at a story time, design T-shirts and even enjoy made-from-scratch smoothies from Sweet Inclusions. The event brought dozens to share in the holiday cheer.ABOVE: Gabrielle Shaker helps her sons, Wyatt, 3, left, and Rhett, 5, make reindeer food at the Tamaqua Public Library on Saturday.RIGHT: Julia Shoff helps her son Samson, 6, create a Christmas ornament at the Tamaqua Public Library on Saturday. Shoff’s sons, Lazarus, 5, and Eleazar, 2, also participated in the fun. JILL WHALEN/TIMES NEWS

Julia Shoff helps her son Samson, 6, create a Christmas ornament at the Tamaqua Public Library on Saturday. Shoff’s sons, Lazarus, 5, and Eleazar, 2, also participated in the fun. JILL WHALEN/TIMES NEWS

A number of smoothie flavors were available from Sweet Inclusions at the Tamaqua Public Library on Saturday. The group is comprised of Tamaqua Area Middle and High school students from the Life Skills and emotional support classrooms, along with volunteers from other grades and classes. Shown here, from left, are Corinne Miller, an aide at the middle school; Ann Frohnheiser, volunteer; Hannah Murphy, middle school aide; Arabella Titus and Ella Balliet, both seventh grade students, Emma Frohnheiser, super senior who graduated in 2025, and Hayley Kerstetter, ninth grade and Sammy Snyder, seventh grade, both volunteers. At back from left, are Logan Levan, eighth grade, and Alicia Murphy, middle school special education instructor. JILL WHALEN/TIMES NEWS

Lazarus Shoff, 5, applies glue to an ornament he was making at the Tamaqua Public Library on Saturday. JILL WHALEN/TIMES NEWS