Children playing with bubbles in a well-lit room, with a child holding a Minnie Mouse doll.
Children run to pop bubbles as Stephen Treder performs during a ​Magic Bubble and Balloons show at the Weston Ranch Branch Library in Stockton, CA on Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Photo by Annie Barker/Stocktonia/CatchLight Local/ Report for America)


Whispered “oohs” and “ahhs” turned to screams of joy Thursday afternoon as dozens of children and adults watched bubbles transform at the Weston Ranch Library.

The show “Magic Bubbles and Balloons” performed by Stephen Treder featured classic bubble making techniques including wands and string, but delved into unique tricks. Treder made triangular, square and spiral shapes along with presenting bubbles within bubbles. A dance party to “Happy” by Pharrell Williams capped off the event.

Thursday Aug. 7, the West Ranch Branch Library will feature Wild Things, a conservation group from Roseville, CA.

Information about future library events held at other branches can be found online.

  • Children playing with bubbles in a well-lit room, with a child holding a Minnie Mouse doll.
  • A person with glasses and a microphone headset holds a triangular frame with a soap film.
  • Performer creates a large iridescent bubble on stage, viewed from behind an audience taking pictures.
  • A person with a large, colorful soap bubble obscuring their face, holding two blue-handled wands.
  • A person with a large, colorful soap bubble obscuring their face, holding two blue-handled wands.
  • Man interacting with an iridescent bubble film within a metal frame, with an orange balloon sculpture on the side.