At the Table
Free library classes claimed every seat in 48 hours in Forsyth County
Hampton Park Library in Cumming, Georgia says its spring beginner Mahjong classes filled in two days, so it added more, beginning with a three-week course that opens on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
When Hampton Park Library in Cumming, Georgia announced beginner Mahjong classes for April, May and June of 2026, the staff expected a warm response. They did not expect every spot to be claimed within 48 hours. That is how the branch told it in a June 10, 2026 post on Bookmarked, the Forsyth County Public Library's news blog, under the title Mah Jongg Fever at Hampton Park Library.
The post was signed by Cynthia Julian-Simmons, the branch's information services supervisor. Because of the demand, she wrote, Hampton Park set to work scheduling more classes to begin in August 2026, with sign-ups opening on Wednesday, July 1, at 9:00 a.m. The post gave fair warning that those seats would go quickly.
“we didn't expect all spots to be claimed in just 48 hours”Hampton Park Library, on the Forsyth County Public Library blog
The course
The next course on the library's calendar begins on Thursday, August 20, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Hampton Park Meeting Room at 5345 Settingdown Road. It is called Beginning Mah Jongg Classes: A Three-Week Course, and the instructor is Peggy Britt.
The listing describes a thorough, three-session introduction to American Mahjong for beginners, after which students should have the skills and the confidence to sit down at a game. Attendance at all three sessions is expected. The course is for adults 18 and up, and registration is free and first come, first served through the library's website. As of this writing, the library's event calendar is the place to check for open seats and for later dates.
Where players go after class
The branch also gives players somewhere to keep playing. The June post points graduates of the classes and seasoned players alike to Mah Jongg Open Play at Hampton Park every Thursday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., a casual drop-in session for meeting other players and getting a few games in. For anyone who cannot make Thursday afternoons, the post notes a monthly Mahjong meetup at the Sharon Forks Library, another branch of the county system.
The post makes a short case for the game as well. It notes that Mahjong came from China, describes it as a mix of strategy, skill and luck, and presents it as a way to build friendships and push back against social isolation. Hampton Park's branch page lists the library at 5345 Settingdown Road in Cumming, with questions answered by phone at 770-781-9840.
Prim's view
A free three-week course that fills in two days is a demand signal no library can hide, and I am glad this one did not try. Hampton Park answered the only way that counts, with more classes, and it said so in June, with sign-ups set for the first of July.
It is also the least expensive door into the game I know of: free, at a public library, with a named teacher, and with a Thursday open play waiting on the other side. That second part is what I would point out to every library thinking of adding a class. Teach people, then give them a table. If you live near Cumming, keep an eye on the calendar, and when sign-ups open, do not wait.