September is Bilbo’s birthday, and the Cotsen Children’s Library is throwing a bash that will be the talk of Hobbiton. Turn yourself invisible, craft a hobbit door, cultivate a garden, steal a coin from Smaug, embark on a campus quest, say hello to Gandalf, and enter to win one of three prize bags stuffed with goodies for your next adventure.

The Princeton Public Library will enlighten you on the artwork of Tolkien, and Science Outreach at Princeton University will dazzle you with the chemistry of fireworks.

Hobbits love to eat, so this event is also a food drive to benefit the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank. You are cordially invited to bring canned goods, cereals, nut butters, oatmeal, cooking oil, and seasonings. Your donation earns you an extra round of entries for our prize bag drawings, and helps to combat food insecurity in New Jersey.

All ages; no registration required

Image courtesy of Pseudopanax, Wikimedia Commons