It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  Neuse Regional Libraries are kicking off the holiday season with a virtual presentation of the annual Night of Joy on Thursday, December 3, at 7:00 p.m.  The Night of Joy, in its twelfth year, is a community-wide celebration where performers give of their time and talents to an event that is sure to leave a delighted audience filled with the spirit of the season. This year is going to be different  from previous years as the Night of Joy will not take place at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library, but will be presented by the Library on the Neuse Regional Libraries Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

As we all know, 2020 has been a rough year.  So many of our favorite events have had to be cancelled or postponed.  The Night of Joy usually takes place in the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library’s Schecter Auditorium which is crowded with family, friends, and community members ready to celebrate the season. With all of the restrictions in place, we knew that the Night of Joy could not be presented in the same way that it has for the last eleven years.  Instead of cancelling one of our favorite events of the year, the Library decided to move the program online. This way the community will still have the opportunity to gather together to celebrate the holidays with singing, dancing, and other joyful expressions of the season.

Performances for the Night of Joy include singing, dancing, and other musical arrangements.  This year’s featured performers are Sandra Fisher, Natosha Graham, the Henderson family, Sadie Horton, IBLife, the LCC chorus, Marlene Matthews, Sharon Mervin, Chris Raines, Amy Rhodes, Catherine Seitzer, Tracy Smith, and Merriam Taylor. Joi Lemon, creator and organizer of the Night of the Joy, will finish the holiday celebration with her rendition of “Happy Birthday Jesus.”

To watch the Night of Joy live on December 3 and to receive regular updates on Library virtual programming, please look for Neuse Regional Libraries on Facebook and YouTube and follow us. It only takes a moment and helps ensure that you stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at your local library.

The Night of Joy is not the only holiday-inspired program being offered by the library. Special Storytime programs, craft grab-and-go kits, holiday game nights, and other events will be offered at each of the Neuse Regional Libraries’ eight locations. Stop by your local Library to pick up a calendar of events and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest updates and happenings.  In addition to these special events, all Neuse Regional Libraries have a wide variety of Christmas books, audiobooks, e-books, e-audiobooks, and DVDs available for check out.  We wish all of our patrons a happy and joyous holiday season, and hope to see you in our Libraries soon.  

The Night of Joy is sponsored by Friends of the Library. For more information, please call 252-527-7066, ext. 133.

Ed.: The Night of Joy broadcast has been postponed to December 10 at 7:00 p.m.