Meghan Casey and Aidan return July 1 at Sterling Public Library

Logan County families will get free, local entertainment and a break from the summer routine when Meghan Casey and Aidan return to Sterling Public Library on July 1. The appearance is part of the library’s wider push to keep children and parents coming back during school break, with the Wendy Marks Summer Reading Program running June 1 through July 31 at 420 N. 5th Street in Sterling.

Sterling Public Library says the summer reading effort is built for all ages, and most of its Family Nights are scheduled for Tuesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. The library has already used that calendar to anchor the season, opening June 1 with Family Night: Petting Zoo & Pizza, with the petting zoo set up in the County Market parking lot and pizza served inside while supplies lasted. A June 5 preschool storytime also brought in llamas as special guests, underscoring how the library is turning summer reading into a steady stream of reasons to visit.

Casey’s return should be especially appealing to younger children and the adults who come with them. Her official site identifies her as a professional ventriloquist and a performer with Rocky Mountain Puppets, and Aidan is one of the recurring characters in her act. That mix has played well in Sterling before. In 2015, Casey entertained about 45 children and parents at the library during a summer reading event, giving the July 1 appearance a clear local precedent.

The summer reading program itself carries a name with deep Sterling roots. The library says Wendy Marks was a long-time Sterling resident, a McGill University graduate and a passionate advocate for childhood reading and public libraries. She served 25 years on the Sterling Public Library Board, and the program that bears her name now serves as one of the city’s most visible public efforts to promote literacy, neighborhood connection and family engagement without adding a major cost burden for residents.

Sterling Public Library also says its children’s department pauses most children’s programs in May while it prepares for the summer reading launch, then fills June and July with a broader slate of events. For families looking for something useful, local and easy to reach, the July 1 return of Meghan Casey and Aidan is one more reason to make the library part of the summer routine.