In honor of the upcoming release, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the City of Santa Clarita Public Library is hosting a series of hobbit-themed events during the next three weeks. All three library branches and several community partners will offer free workshops, movie screenings and literary discussions. In addition, community members will have the opportunity to win tickets to a private screening of “The Hobbit”on Saturday, December 15 at 10 a.m. at Edwards Valencia Stadium 12. 

Free events taking place in November and December include:

• Wednesday, November 28 at 6:30 p.m. Barnes and Noble will host a book discussion of “The Hobbit.”
• Thursday, November 29 at 7:00 p.m. Join Dr. Michael Ward of Oxford University at the Valencia Library as he explores the heroism of Bilbo Baggins in “Going for Gold in ‘The Hobbit’: The Heart of Tolkien’s Classic Tale.”  Dr. Ward is a senior research fellow at Blackfriars Hall in the University of Oxford and is also an authority on C.S. Lewis.
• Friday, November 30 at 3:00 p.m. and Friday, December 7 at 4:00 p.m. The Old Town Newhall Library will screen the animated film “The Hobbit: The Original Unedited 1977 Version.”  
• Monday, December 3. All three library branches will invite patrons to test their skill at guessing the total number of rings at the “One Ring” contest. 
• Wednesday, December 5 at 5:00 p.m. Join Tolkien scholar Cliff Broadway at the Canyon Country Library for a screening of the award-winning documentary “Ringers: Lord of the Fans” followed by a discussion.
• Wednesday, December 5-Wednesday, December 12. All three branches will host hobbit scavenger hunts around Santa Clarita. Winners receive tickets to the December 15 private screening of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”
• Thursday, December 6 at 6:00 p.m. College of the Canyons guest professors Thea Alvarado and Svetlana Lynch will host a discussion titled “Journey into Bilbo Hobbit’s Character, from Hobbit to Hero,” at the Old Town Newhall Library. 
• Tuesday, December 11 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Canyon Country branch and Thursday, December 13 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Valencia Branch. Hobbit enthusiasts are invited to participate in a book sharing discussion of “The Hobbit.”

After each event participants will have the opportunity to win free tickets to a private screening of “The Hobbit.” To be eligible to win a ticket, library guests must participate in at least one activity, have a Santa Clarita Public Library card and be 13 years or older.

For more information on all of the hobbit happenings, visit click here or contact your local Santa Clarita Public Library branch.