Summer solstice event returns to Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix

By Christina Estes
Published: Monday, June 12, 2023 - 5:05am
Updated: Monday, June 12, 2023 - 7:23am

Summer solstice
Daisy Finch/KJZZ
Summer solstice at Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix.

After a three-year pandemic pause, Phoenix Burton Barr Central Library will resume its month in-person summer solstice celebration.

Hundreds of visitors are expected to witness a unique light effect on the first day of summer, which is also the longest day of the year.

Thanks to the architecture, sunlight will flow down the wall in the Great Reading Rooms. And the tips of columns that hold up the room, will resemble lit candles. The event will take place at summer solstice, which is 12:29 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21.

Festivities for this year’s summer solstice festivities begin at 11 a.m. with arts activities and live music, with a formal solstice presentation at noon. Burton Barr is located at Central Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix.

In 2018, architect Will Bruder told KJZZ News how skylights and the design create a viewing experience on the top floor.