Hamilton East Public Library invites you to “Sharing Our Story: Local History Fair”

Hamilton East Public Library (HEPL) invites the community to celebrate local history and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States at the Sharing Our Story: Local History Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 20 at the Noblesville Library.

This free, open-house-style event will bring together local history organizations, preservation groups, and community partners from across Hamilton County to help residents discover the stories, people, and places that have shaped the region.

Visitors can explore booths and speak with representatives from a variety of local organizations dedicated to preserving and sharing Hamilton County’s rich history. Attendees will receive a history passport at check-in and can collect stamps from participating booths throughout the fair. Completed passports will earn a prize and entry into a raffle drawing.

“The Crossroads Discovery Center at HEPL is excited to welcome visitors to our Local History Fair,” said Jessica Layman, Local History and Genealogy Librarian at HEPL. “This event was inspired by the America250 anniversary and the idea of sharing stories. Whether you’ve been a Hamilton County resident for generations or just moved here, sharing stories is how community gets built. Our local history organizations pride themselves on telling the stories and history of our Hamilton County community, and this event will be an amazing opportunity to learn more about what we have to offer.”

In addition to visiting exhibits, attendees are encouraged to stop by the Crossroads Discovery Center, located on the second floor of the Noblesville Library, for demonstrations on how to research and share their own family stories and personal histories.

At 2 p.m., local author, realtor, and longtime community storyteller Kurt Meyer will present the keynote program, ”Story Telling: From Novels to Blogging to Social Media,” in Meeting Room B. Meyer, a lifelong Hoosier, has published nearly 300 newspaper columns and feature stories and is the author of the novels Noblesville and The Salvage Man, both set in Noblesville. His presentation will explore how storytelling has evolved across different formats while remaining a powerful way to connect communities and preserve local history.

“Story telling is the best way I know of to learn about history and the world around us,” Meyer said. “Even the retelling of our own personal stories helps us better see ourselves honestly. I’ve enjoyed doing that as a newspaper columnist, a blogger, and a social media content creator.”

Participating organizations include:

• Clay Township Military Museum and Library

• Conner Prairie

• Fishers Historical Society

• Hamilton County Historical Society

• Hamilton County Parks and Recreation

• Hamilton East Public Library Foundation

• Roberts Settlement

• Sheridan Historical Society

• Westfield Preservation Alliance

• Westfield Washington Historical Society

Event Schedule

• 1 p.m. – Fair opens; displays open through 4 p.m.

• 2 p.m. – Keynote presentation by Kurt Meyer (Meeting Room B)

• 3 p.m. – Fair continues

• 4 p.m. – Fair and raffle conclude

The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. For more information, visit the Hamilton East Public Library event calendar or contact the library at (317) 770-3236.