Library to host Downton Abbey festivities

The Hoover Public Library will welcome Downton Abbey fans for a weekend of festivities Aug. 16-18.

The British period drama television series created by Julian Fellowes is set in the Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey. It depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and its servants amidst the backdrop of changing social and cultural norms and worldwide events beginning in 1912.

The weekend will kick off Friday night with Wendy Wax, author of While We Were Watching Downton Abbey, a novel about four friends who watch the show from a historic Atlanta apartment building. Wax was also featured at the Southern Voices Festival earlier this year.

Friday’s event, which runs from 7-9 p.m., will feature a Downton Abbey-inspired tea party from Coffee-ol-ogy, a costume contest and a book signing by Wax.

On Saturday and Sunday the Library will host a viewing party of Season Two of the show. Episode 1 will start at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the viewing will continue through the evening with the schedule approximating showings of Episodes 2-5 at 2 p.m. and Episode 6 at 5 p.m.

The final three episodes will be shown Sunday starting at 2:30 p.m.

To learn more about these events, call 444-7821 or visit hooverlibrary.org.