Donalda Library staff thought their ZenTangle/ColourMeRadd event would be popular, but they weren't prepared for the influx of people that filled the small library space to the seams.
With nearly 40 people attending the Friday, March 11 event, organizer Naomi LaBelle found herself scrambling to find places for the children, teens and adults to sit and colour. A second table was set up — and quickly filled, and some kids set themselves up on the floor.
"No one believed me when I said how many people came," LaBelle said of the board's reaction to the event's popularity. "I sent them a picture from the start of the event with 20 people there, so they believe me now."
It's the second time LaBelle has hosted a ColourMeRadd event at the library, but heard from the community that conflicts had prevented many from going. Participants are given intricate printouts which they can colour — the detailed works require focus and attention to detail to colour in.
The Zen Tangle event — an adult version of ColourMeRadd — was planned for the previous Monday, but a family emergency forced LaBelle to cancel the event. That event was combined with the Friday ColourMeRadd, and several adults came out to pick up pencil crayons and colour alongside their children and their children's friends, LaBelle said.
"We had every table surface covered, and people had to sit on the floor," she said. "We had people on stools, on anything they could sit on."
Given the popularity of the event, LaBelle said it's something she expects will be back on a regular basis.