Summer Stride

Author: Varla Ventura, Enchanted Plants

Wednesday, 7/22/2026
6:00 - 7:00
Anza Meeting Room
Anza

550 37th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94121
United States

415-355-5717

Explore the folklore, mythology, and cultural meanings behind plants both familiar and strange with Varla Ventura. Drawing from a wide range of historical and literary sources, Ventura uncovers the magical associations, superstitions, and symbolic power of plants across cultures and time periods. This engaging talk invites you to see the natural world through a more mysterious lens, where botany and storytelling intertwine.

About the Author
Varla Ventura is a writer and folklorist known for her work on the supernatural, mythology, and the curious corners of cultural history. She is the author of several books, including Enchanted Plants, Fairies, Pookas, and Changelings, and Banshees, Werewolves, and Vampires. Ventura’s work blends rigorous research with a love of the strange and uncanny, making her a compelling voice in modern folklore writing.

Summer Stride

Summer Stride is the Library's annual summer learning, reading and exploration program for all ages and abilities. Read and learn with the Library all summer long.

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.