Gather and Grow

10/22/2026

10/21/2026

What a wonderful morning learning about bats with Ranger Leah from Guadalupe Mountains National Park! 🦇💛

Kids and grown-ups alike were fascinated by everything she shared. It was such a gift to see her love for bats and to learn right alongside our children. ✨

Thank you, Ranger Leah, for sharing your time, knowledge, and heart with our little community. You gave us so much to wonder about, and we’re grateful! We look forward to welcome you back. 🫶🏼

And, of course… thank you, bats! 🦇🤎

10/19/2026

Carlsbad, your Thanksgiving weekend plans just got a little more meaningful! 🎄👟🎁

Join Gather and Grow on Saturday, November 28, for our Gather and Grow Holiday Toy Run 5K & Kids Race! Bring the kids, invite your friends, and share a morning of movement, giving, and holiday cheer with your community. 💛

All racers welcome, kids and adults! Race for a place, walk with your family, or come cheer everyone across the finish line. There’s room for you here!

🏁 Starting at the Bandshell
🕤 Check in opens at 9:30 AM
🏃 Race starts at 10 AM
🏅 Race placings will be recognized!

This invitation is for ALL of Carlsbad! You don’t have to be part of Gather and Grow to join the fun.

Registration is open! Sign up using the information on the flyer, invite your race buddy, and come make some holiday memories with us! 📣💛

10/18/2026

A little creativity for our littlest artists! 🎨💛 The Artist Gallery is offering classes for ages 6 and under. Sharing for families who might enjoy some time creating together! Check out their post for details.

Little hands, BIG creativity!

We've got some fun new art classes coming up for our youngest artists, ages 6 and under!

We're getting messy, making memories, and creating some pretty adorable masterpieces along the way!

Here's what's coming up:

🎃 October 21st – Pasta Pumpkins

🎨 November 18th – Mosaic Tiles

🎭 December 9th – Holiday Masks

All classes are from 10 AM – 12 PM at The Artist Gallery!

Don't worry about the mess, we'll handle that part! You just bring your little artist and let their imagination do the rest!

Head over to carlsbadart.com to learn more and sign up!

10/18/2026

Little hands, growing ideas, and a community to cheer them on. 🌲💛

❄️ Registration is officially OPEN for Gather and Grow’s Kids Winter Mini Makers Market! Children and teens from Carlsbad and surrounding communities are invited to share their handmade creations in a welcoming space rooted in nature, play, and connection. ❄️

📅 Saturday, December 5
🕚 11 AM to 1 PM
📍 Carlsbad Beach Bandshell, 708 Park Drive
✨ Free to participate and attend!

Spaces are limited. Register by November 30 or before spaces fill. Please read the guidelines in the form before signing up.

Register here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWZIa_dfUyRcid4gAPbzBQuWlAP7HZ7sybrkUOHMVfehSfyw/viewform

Neighbors, friends, and families, save the date to shop small and find something made with heart. Every purchase and kind word helps encourage a young maker!

Please share with a family who might love to join us. 🌿

10/17/2026

📚💛 Carlsbad Public Library 🫶🏼

Storytime was full of itsy bitsy spiders this week! We read two wonderful books, sang songs and made colorful spiderwebs!

I think one of the best parts of spending time with little ones is the reminder of how much joy there is in being curious, and just having fun! So thankful for our library families who come ready to learn and play with us. You make Storytime a special part of the week. ❤️

10/16/2026

Love grows everywhere, and this week at Cross Country Club, it was easy to see. 🍂💛

In the cheers for a friend, the laughter between running games, and the little voices joining a familiar song. In mamas stretching alongside their children and families enjoying a morning outside together.

With the leaves beginning to change around us, we’re growing too. Learning to take turns, encourage each other, and find joy in moving together.

We finished with a healthy snack and Love Grows Everywhere, a sweet find from the Carlsbad Public Library that captured the heart of our morning.

Grateful for these little moments of friendship and the community growing around them. 🌱

10/16/2026

A little holiday planning ahead! 🎄✨ Sharing this year’s Christmas on the Pecos weekend events so you can start planning some special family memories right here in Carlsbad.

Our Gather and Grow Holiday Toy Run 5K & Kids Race on November 28 falls on the same weekend as Rollin’ on the Pecos, and our Gather and Grow Kids Winter Makers Market is December 5. We’d love for you to join us and enjoy all that our community has coming up! ❄️

Whether you’re local or planning a visit, we’d love for you to join us, support our young makers, and make some holiday memories here in Carlsbad. 💛

Thank you Carlsbad NM Chamber of Commerce 🎄

10/15/2026

Teen time is back at Gather and Grow! 💛 We’re excited to make more space for our teens to connect, build friendships, and have fun together.

🎾 Tennis every Tuesday at the Carlsbad Tennis Courts for ages 13–17, plus one teen meetup each month!

🍿 This month, we’re planning a trip to La Cueva Theatre to see Wildwood, pending showtimes.

We love LAIKA’s creative storytelling and handcrafted stop-motion animation! Their newest adventure follows a girl into an enchanted forest to rescue her baby brother, and we’re excited to experience it together.

Message us for details or if your teen would like to join! We’ll share the final movie plans soon. 🌿

10/10/2026

A little reminder that Carlsbad Public Library has weekly storytimes for our littlest readers throughout the season! 📚💛

• Tuesday: Toddler Time
• Wednesday: Preschool Storytime
• Thursday: Baby Time

All begin at 10 AM. Such a sweet way to enjoy stories and spend time together!

October Storytime is in full swing here at the library!

This week, we went a little batty! We shared lots of giggles while reading I Am Bat by Morag Hood, and our little artists created some wonderfully colorful bats of their own!

One of our favorite sights was watching all those bright, fluttery bats make their way out of the library with our storytime families!

Thanks for another week of stories, silliness, and creativity!