Getting Fancy

Young library patrons enjoy tea party tied to popular character

The upstairs community room of the Amherst Public Library, 221 Spring St., recently was transformed into a very fancy banquet hall.

Dedicated to beloved book character Fancy Nancy, the tea party was the brainchild of youth librarians Kristina Hudson and Megan Karhusz.

Hudson, who has been with the library since March 2022, isn’t a stranger to tea parties, having held them when she worked for the Lorain Public Library System.

“I’ve done something like this before with my previous library,” Hudson said. “And when it comes to tea parties, Fancy Nancy seemed the most logical answer.”

Guests enjoyed pink lemonade, sweet tea, cookies, coloring crafts and more, giving them the feeling of being princesses for the day. And the event wasn’t just for girls, she said.

“One of the biggest lessons of Fancy Nancy is that anyone can be fancy,” Hudson said. “She has recently become even more popular with the TV show, and interest has just skyrocketed.”

For Hudson — and Fancy Nancy — fashion isn’t about gender so much as it is about feeling comfortable in one’s own skin.

Besides fashion, another large component to Fancy Nancy is her love of the French language.

“She helps kids learn new languages like French, which can open them up to new languages and cultures,” Hudson said. “Fancy Nancy also teaches children some etiquette lessons, not

Guests enjoyed pink lemonade, sweet tea, cookies, coloring crafts and more

only when it comes to tea parties, but in life in general as well.”

The event initially was planned for just one session, but with the rise in popularity of the character, the library ended up having two, each of which drew more than 40 guests.

Following the event, party-goers had the chance to go on a scavenger hunt as well as build their own butterfly wands.

“We definitely have more teas already planned,” Hudson said. “While the Fancy Nancy tea parties will most likely be a yearly occurrence, more teas are planned in the upcoming months for guests to enjoy.”

Amherst Public Library’s Fancy Nancy tea party drew more than 40guests at each session, making it one of the largest events to be held in the library’s community room since its opening.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN HOFFMAN — THE MORNING JOURNAL A guest at Amherst Public Library’s Fancy Nancy tea party admires her new butterfly tattoo.

Guests at Amherst Public Library’s Fancy Nancy tea party enjoyed sugar cookies and pink tea, all while dressed in their fanciest of outfits.