Celebrate Urban Birds Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Southside Academy Charter School. The event will feature a bird-art activity for younger children, and the school's science teacher will take a group outside on a bird walk to collect observation data for Cornell. Pizza and refreshments will be sold during lunch as a fundraiser for the school's athletic teams.

Join Betts Branch to help select the winners of "Poetry and Art in the Bus." The final selection of winners will be decided by the general public. Workshop providers: Martin Willitts Jr. (poetry) and Michael Sickler (drawings). This project was made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.

May 6 marks the nationwide Free Comic Book Day, and the Central Library will celebrate by helping others to create comics. In this workshop, participants will learn how to write stories, sketch thumbnails and develop your own characters. Open to ages 12 and up. No registration necessary.

A meeting of Syracuse United Neighbors will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, at the Brady Faith Center. Special Guest Bill Simmons, director of Syracuse Housing Authority, will discuss what will happen to tenants concerning the I-81 Viaduct plans.

May is National Inventor’s Month, and Hazard Library is celebrating by experimenting with wind power. Participants will build a model wind turbine, then explore and test common materials to identify modifications that will improve it. Will wind power our future? That’s up to you. Open to ages 8 to 12.

James Baldwin's America is a community conversation that uses literature to explore our human experience. Facilitated by R. Deborah Davis of SUNY Oswego and Joseph Marusa (ret.) of Syracuse City School District, this program begins at 5 p.m. with a light dinner provided by the sponsors, followed by the discussion that begins promptly at 5:30. A reading packet will be provided at the first session. Participation is free, but registration is requested. Call (315) 399-4100. This program is supported by a grant from Humanities NY.

Create custom cards with the Central Library's “Baby Press," the mini version of the professional printing press. Supplies are provided, but feel free to bring any additional items you may want to add in order to personalize your cards. Open to ages 12 and up.

Join the Central Library for popcorn and games in the TeenSpace every Friday. For teens ages 12 to 18. No registration required.

The Greater Syracuse Land Bank will host a weekend painting event that is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at South Presbyterian Church located at 2110 S. Salina St. The community as a whole will have the opportunity to participate in brightening up our city. Paint, plywood and a place to paint will be provided. Completed boards will then be displayed on Land Bank properties throughout the city. To learn more, email Liam Kirst at LKirst@syracuseLandBank.org or Logan Reidsma at Lreidsma@SyracuseLandbank.org

Distractibility interferes with our ability to listen, to focus, to respond and to feel fully alive. The 45-minute meditation workshop will include instruction in simple meditation techniques, including breath, posture and basic principles of awareness. Judy Fancher, a meditation practitioner for 16 years, is the instructor. This program is supported by the Zen Center of Syracuse. Please register in advance by calling (315) 435-1940.