April 3 - Thursday

The Big Read Kickoff!: Visit the Southeast Steuben County Library; 300 Nasser Civic Center Plaza in Corning:
- Witness a proclamation by local dignitaries opening The Big Read in Southeast Steuben County. Starts at noon.
- Enjoy the TheatreWorks/USA, Living Voices presentation of, The Right to Dream, a live and multimedia drama about a young African-American's coming of age in Mississippi during the 1950s and 1960s. Free public event: 6 pm in the Laura Beer Community Room.
- Pick up a free NEA Reader’s Guide: To Kill a Mockingbird throughout the day.
- View a travelling exhibit at the Library, from the Chemung County Historical Society.
 

April 4 - Friday

Film: Amazing Grace. (2006) Come to the Southeast Steuben County Library at 7 pm for a free Friday film about a political struggle against slavery. The idealist William Wilberforce maneuvers his way through Parliament in 19th century England, endeavoring to end the British transatlantic slave trade. 117 min. Rated PG. Doors open at 6:45 pm.

April 5 - Saturday

- In Celebration of the Mockingbird: A program exploring bird diversity and mating calls, followed by a bird walk. Spencer Crest Nature Center, Spencer Hill Road in Corning. Free. 10 am - 12 pm. For more information, call (607) 962-9012
- Wegmans, Corning will feature a Big Read – To Kill a Mockingbird Display and offer samples of ethnic foods and recipes.

April 7 - Monday; April 8 - Tuesday

FILM: The Palace Theatre on Market Street in Corning has partnered with The Big Read. Free showings of the 1962 Hollywood movie, To Kill a Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck and Mary Badham (as Scout). 1:30 pm and 6:45 pm. Free! Call (607) 936-3844.

April 9 - Wednesday

FILM: To Kill a Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck and Mary Badham will be shown at West High School, 35 Victory Highway in Painted Post at 3pm. Not open to the general public.

April 13 - Sunday

FILM: The Southern Tier Indian Cultural Association will present an Indian cultural film. Free. Starts at 12 pm at the Southeast Steuben County Library.

April 17 - Thursday

Book Talk: The Friends of the Library, sponsors of The Big Read, will host Writer and Educator Lynn Pifer, Mansfield University, in a special Books Sandwiched In at 12 pm at the Southeast Steuben County Library. Pifer will discuss attitudes toward gender and diversity found in Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird.

April 18 - Friday

FILM: The Library will show To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), starring Gregory Peck and Mary Badham, in celebration of The Big Read at 7 pm. Free. Doors open at 6:45 pm. Call (607) 936-3713.

April 19 - Saturday

- Literary Women: Two noted local authors will read from their work at 171 Cedar Arts Center in Corning. 1 pm. Poet & artist Akua Lezli Hope will read from her work. Akua’s first volume of poems, Embouchure, Poems on Jazz and Other Musics, won the Writer's Digest book award for poetry in 1996. Writer & illustrator Tina Field Howe will present a dramatic reading from her novel, Alysa of the Fields. The story promotes the values of good character, honesty, respect for life, inner growth, and the necessity to stay open to people who have a different way of life. Free. (607) 936-4647
- Spanish Stories, Music & Crafts: at the Southeast Steuben County Library. This family-friendly event is free. 1 pm. (607) 936-3713
 

April 23 - Wednesday

FILM: To Kill a Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck and Mary Badham will be shown at East High School Auditorium, 201 Cantigny Street in Corning at 3pm. Not open to the general public.

April 24 - Thursday

The Big Read Keynote Address: Elise Klein, President and Founder of Teachers Against Prejudice, will engage the audience in a thoughtful, hard-hitting discussion of the roots and manifestations of prejudice in today's world. She will draw upon selected themes from To Kill a Mockingbird to help audience members recognize and stand up to intolerance. 6 pm at Corning Free Academy, West Third Street. (607) 936-3704 or (607) 936-3713

April 27 – Sunday

The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG), 1 Museum Way in Corning, presents Families Explore. Each month on a Sunday, CMoG educators engage children and adults in learning about the glass and glassmaking of selected countries and cultures. 11 am to 4 pm. Call Kristy Bartenstein at (607) 974-3306 for additional information.