A Look Back at San Mateo Celebrates!
2026
A week of ideas, culture, science, memory, and community storytelling at the San Mateo Public Library.
Presented during National Library Week 2026 as part of the Main Library’s 20th anniversary year.
A Festival.
A Library.
A Community Connected.
San Mateo Celebrates! returned for a fourth year as a weeklong invitation to gather through public programs, exhibitions, performances, and conversations at the San Mateo Public Library.
Held during National Library Week and the beginning of the Main Library’s 20th anniversary year, the festival brought together residents, artists, educators, scientists, families, and civic partners in shared public space.
Festival Week 2026
By the Numbers
5
days of programming
8
public events and activations
19
community and institutional partners
7k
library visitors during festival week
16k
social media impressions
The Library as Civic Space
San Mateo Celebrates! explored the library not only as a place of information, but as a shared civic space for gathering, creativity, conversation, and public life.
Throughout the week, science, music, storytelling, local history, and family programming coexisted under one roof.
“The library is one of the few remaining places where a city can encounter itself.”
Program Highlights
San Mateo Chats
San Mateo Chats explored the future of disease diagnosis through a public conversation on next-generation pathology and emerging technology.
Special thanks to Dr. Lisa McGinnis.
San Mateo Delights
Presented in partnership with Music at Kohl Mansion, San Mateo Delights transformed the Oak Room into an intimate live music venue featuring Grupo Falso Baiano.
The evening invited audiences to experience the library through music, hospitality, and gathering.
San Mateo Remembers
San Mateo Remembers featured a screening of A Little Fellow and a conversation with filmmaker Davide Fiore.
Audience demand exceeded room capacity, requiring overflow seating in the Laurel Room.
Generations Day
Generations Day brought families, neighbors, educators, and community leaders together for performances, storytimes, exhibitions, hands-on activities, and shared celebration.
Highlights included Elephant & Piggie appearances, José-Luis Orozco, Chef Martin Yan, and a public cake cutting honoring the Main Library’s 20th anniversary year.
Exhibitions & Installations
Made possible with the support of our Visionary Partners.
The Stories Our Cells Tell: Mapping the Human Cell Atlas
Installed in the Genentech Biotechnology Learning Center, this exhibition introduced visitors to the global effort to map every cell type in the human body.
Developed in partnership with Human Cell Atlas and made possible through Genentech’s Civic Fund.
The Work of Generations: A Portrait of Family Business in San Mateo
This portrait and storytelling series highlighted multigenerational San Mateo families behind local businesses and community institutions.
Created in partnership with the Downtown San Mateo Association and the San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce.
Photography by Clara Rice.
The Library and the Life of a City: San Mateo Public Library, 1883–2026
This interactive timeline traced the parallel evolution of the San Mateo Public Library and the city it serves.
Visitors were invited to reflect on memory, change, and the role of libraries in civic life.
San Mateo Celebrates! 2026 was supported by sponsors, donors, community businesses, institutional partners, and volunteers who believe in the importance of accessible public spaces for learning, culture, creativity, and connection.
Their support helped keep programming free and open to the public throughout the week.
This Festival Was Made Possible Through Community Support
Behind every welcome table, family activity, performance, and community moment was a network of staff, Board members, volunteers, and partners helping bring the festival to life. The San Mateo Public Library system is supported by nearly 800 volunteers throughout the year — individuals who help sustain programs, support daily operations, assist patrons, and strengthen the library’s connection to the community.
San Mateo Celebrates! reflected that same spirit of shared stewardship. Across the week, volunteers and supporters helped create an environment that was welcoming, intergenerational, and deeply rooted in public service.
Community in Action
Downtown San Mateo Association | Fiero Caffe | Piazza’s Fine Foods | Romolo’s Cannoli and Spumoni | San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce | Simple Delights | Simplycake | Trader Joe’s | Whole Foods Market
Looking Ahead
As San Mateo Celebrates! continues to grow, the festival is helping expand public understanding of what a library can be: a cultural venue, civic gathering place, learning hub, and shared public commons.
Future opportunities include expanded partnerships, broader participation, and continued experimentation across arts, science, storytelling, and civic programming.