By Hannah Lester
hlester@opelikaobserver.com

Sing “won’t you guide my sleigh tonight,” pick out a Christmas tree with Charlie and Lionel, see the ghosts of past, present and future (in Muppet form), build a Christmas village with Buddy the elf and finally, prepare your home against intruders, all in one afternoon.

The Lewis Cooper Jr. Memorial Library is hosting a Christmas movie marathon on Dec. 23. Children, and adults, can watch all their favorites in one day.

“Hosting events for educational and entertainment purposes is part of the library’s core mission. This will be our fourth year hosting a Christmas Movie Marathon,” said Rosanna McGinnis, the library director.

The marathon will begin at 10 a.m. with “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” which is a 30-minute film. There will be a 30-minute break, and then “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will start at 11 a.m.

This feature will last 47 minutes. Soon after, at 12 p.m., “A Muppet Christmas Carol” will play and will last 1 hour and 29 minutes.

“Elf” will play at 2 p.m. and will last 1 hour and 37 minutes. Finally, the library will show “Home Alone” at 4 p.m., which movie will last 1 hour and 43 minutes.

“We believe it is still important to provide a space for people who may not have family in the area,” McGinnis said. “At Cooper Library, we love books, but we love people more. Helping people stay connected even while we keep our distance is very important to us.

Thanks to COVID-19, the library will limit seating for the event. Social distancing guidelines will be observed, and guests will be required to wear masks.

“Typically, because many people are already traveling for Christmas or have established plans, the movie marathon has lower attendance,” McGinnis said. “This year, lower attendance will be a benefit as we adhere to strict social distancing guidelines… To follow these guidelines, space is extremely limited.”

The library is located at 200 South 6th St. and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To reach the library or for more information, call (334-705-5380) or email (library@opelika-al.gov).