Fri., March 18
A screening of the movie “Freeheld” will be at 2 p.m. at the Hickory Corner Branch, Mercer County Library System, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor. The film, starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page, tells the local story of police officer Laurel Hester and her domestic partner’s struggle to retain benefits as Hester is diagnosed with cancer. No registration is necessary.
Homeschoolers Open House and Book Swap from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Plumsted Branch of the Ocean County Library, 119 Evergreen Road, New Egypt, N.J. Bring your gently used materials to swap with other homeschoolers and learn what the library has to offer to support your homeschooling journey. For information, call the library at 609-758-7888 or visit the website www.oceancountylibrary.org.
Sat., March 19
Gardening enthusiasts are invited to register for the upcoming Rutgers Home Gardeners School to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rutgers University Cook/Douglass campus in New Brunswick, N.J. This year marks the 40th offering of this annual event. Designed to offer something for everyone seeking a greener thumb, the Rutgers Home Gardeners School is made up of 35 individual workshop sessions covering a wide array of horticulture topics. The registration fee for the event is $75, but a special early registration discount price of $60 is being offered through March 10. An additional discount is also available for Master Gardeners. Participants can purchase a $10 box lunch when registering or bring their own bag lunch. Pre-registration is recommended. For more information or to register, visit www.cpe.rutgers.edu/hgs or call the Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education at 848-932-9271.
The Hightstown East Windsor Lions Club will be holding its 79th annualHoliday Egg Hunt at Association Park, Grant Avenue, Hightstown. The hunt will start at 9 a.m. sharp. The park will be divided into two zones: ages 1 to 5; and ages 6 and up. Prizes will be awarded. Rain date is Saturday, March 26, at 9 a.m. sharp. Remember to bring a basket or a bag. This was one of the first Lions Club community activities conducted by the club after its founding in 1936.
The Cranbury Public Library will host its second annual Makers Day from 10 a.m. to noon. It’s a fun-filled, all-ages community event that celebrates imagination, creation, and learning. There will be several hands-on activities and demonstrations of technology and craftsmanship with community partners Little Owl Enrichment and Cranbury School’s Girls in Tech Club. The event will be held in the Cranbury School Large Group Room. The library is at 23 N. Main, Cranbury.
Cranbury Township will sponsor a free rabies clinic from noon to 2 p.m. at the Cranbury Fire House, 2 South Main St.
The Monroe Township Public Library will present “Makerfest” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the library, 4 Municipal Plaza, Monroe Township, N.J. Join the library for a celebration of crafting, electronics, 3D printing, creativity and more. There will be exhibitors and hands-on demonstrations. For information, call 732-521-5000 or visit www.monroetwplibrary.org.
Sun., March 20
Beth El Synagogue of East Windsor, Werner Lecture Fund, presents Ted Otten and Michael Kownacky and ‘An evening of stories of the career and music of Leonard Bernstein,” at 7 p.m. For more than 20 years, Ted Otten and Michael Kownacky have been presenting music from the world of the performing arts to their listeners on WWFM – The Classical Network. Each hour program is based on a specific theme that showcases everything from Broadway to Hollywood, musicals from around the world, performance art, and cabaret. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. Beth El Synagogue is located at 50 Maple Stream Road, East Windsor, NJ, 08520; 609-443-4454; www.bethel.net.
The Hightstown First Aid Squad will have “Breakfast with the Easter Bunny” from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the firehouse on Main Street. The menu includes all-you-ca-eat servings of pancakes, French toast, sausage, orange juice, coffee, tea and milk. The Easter Bunny will have a special treat for the children. For advance tickets, call 609-426-1512. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. Tickets in advance are $ 6 for adults and $3 for children under 6. Tickets are the door are $7 for adults and $5 for children under 6.
Mon., March 21
Book Café with guest author at 3 p.m. at the Plumsted Branch of the Ocean County Library, 119 Evergreen Road, New Egypt, N.J. Meet nationally known local author, speaker and retreat leader Barbara Hosbach as she presents two of her books,“Fools, Liars, Cheaters, and Other Bible Heroes” and “Your Faith Has Made You Well.” Light refreshments served. Books available for purchase. For information, call the library at 609-758-7888 or visit the website www.oceancountylibrary.org.
Keep This Toss That at 6 p.m. at the Plumsted Branch of the Ocean County Library, 119 Evergreen Road, New Egypt, N.J. Are you ready for a fresh start?Join us as Jamie Novak of HGTV & Martha Stewart blogger presents a humorous look at the common pitfalls of spring organizing. Aside from a good laugh you’ll walk away with tips on closet cleanups and making piles of paperwork disappear. Program sponsored by Friends of Plumsted Library. For information, call the library at 609-758-7888 or visit the website www.oceancountylibrary.org.
Hickory Corner’s Mystery Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. at 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor. The group will be discussing “In a Dry Season” by Peter Robinson. New members are always welcome. No registration is necessary.
Tues., March 22
Spring: Get Your Garden Growing at 3 p.m. at the Plumsted Branch of the Ocean County Library, 119 Evergreen Road, New Egypt, N.J. Are you ready for spring? Get ready to have a beautiful garden with some helpful tips and insights presented by the Master Gardeners of Ocean County. For information, call the library at 609-758-7888 or visit the website www.oceancountylibrary.org.
“Vitamins & Herbal Supplements: Do You Need Them?” will be presented at 2 p.m. at the Hickory Corner Branch, Mercer County Library System, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor. Is the food we eat really providing us with all the nutrition we need for good health or should we take a vitamin or supplement? Walgreen’s pharmacist Kathleen Roberts will discuss various types of vitamins and supplements, their benefits, side effects and more. Call the library to register at 609-448-1330.
Wed., March 23
Join Michele Granberg, MA, certified laughter leader, for The Healing Power of Laughter at 2 p.m. at the Hickory Corner Branch, Mercer County Library System, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor. She will lead participants through simple interactive exercises that get and keep you laughing. Learn how to release tension and inhibitions and reclaim your true smile and genuine laugh. Leave feel refreshed, relaxed and uplifted. Call the library to register at 609-448-1330.
“Feeling Great – No Matter What!” workshop will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Hightstown Memorial Library, 114 Franklin St. in Hightstown. Transform the way you think, feel and experience life. Understand the power of your true identity. Join Leena, an eight-year practitioner of Rajyoga meditation, in this interactive workshop. Register online at www.mcl.org. Call the library at 609-443-6798 for more information.
Sun., March 27
The Beth El Synagogue of East Windsor Genealogy Club will be sponsoring a “Double Header” program at 7:30 p.m. Part one of the meeting will address “Using Probate Records to find Cousins.” Part two will address “Searching for a Birth Family.” Beth El Synagogue is located at 50 Maple Stream Road, East Windsor, NJ, 08520; 609-443-4454; www.bethel.net.
Tues., March 29
Genealogy 101 will be presented at 6:30 p.m. at the Hickory Corner Branch, Mercer County Library System, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor. Learn how to go about researching your family history using Ancestry Library and other genealogical websites and sources. Presented by Cathy Zahn of Central Jersey Genealogical Society. Sponsored by the Friends of the Hickory Corner Library. To register, call the library at 609-448-1330.
Wed., March 30
Book Discussion: “All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr will be discussed at 7:30 p.m. at the Hickory Corner Branch, Mercer County Library System, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor, N.J. No registration is required and new members are always welcome.
Thurs., March 31
McCarter Theater’s “A Christmas Carol” Ensemble Project information session and workshop will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Hightstown Memorial Library, 114 Franklin St. in Hightstown. McCarter Theater’s production staff is looking for members for its new “A Christmas Carol” Ensemble and reaching out to people of all ages of the community to come and learn more about the project. Call the library at 609-443-6798 for more information.
EFT Tapping will be explained and demonstrated at 7 p.m. at the Hickory Corner Branch, Mercer County Library System, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor, N.J. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) combines acupuncture with modern psychology but without the needles. By gentle tapping on acupoints while tuning into whatever problem you want to work on, the distress subsides and you’re left with a new sense of emotional freedom. Presented by psychologist Carol Bemmels. Call the library to register at 609-448-1330.
Fri., April 1
“Master Gardeners – We Planted a Tree” will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Hightstown Memorial Library, 114 Franklin St. in Hightstown. Listen to a story and learn why trees are important. Receive a tree plug to plant at home. For grades K-3. Presented by Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County. A caregiver must be in the library during the program. Register online at www.mcl.org. Call the library at 609-443-6798 for more information.
Pasta Fest 2016, a family dinner and fundraiser sponsored by the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton, will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Nottingham Ballroom, 200 Mercer St., Hamilton Square, N.J. Menu items include linguine, pencil points, several sauces (including meatless), salad, dinner rolls, a variety of desserts and refreshments. The night’s fun will include entertainment by Bob Orlowski of Top Shelf Entertainment, and a Super 50/50 raffle. Proceeds from the event fund the Rotary Club’s annual scholarship program and benefit local charities. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-12. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, visit www. rhrotary.org or call 609-915-3224.
Sun., April 3
Beth El Synagogue of East Windsor Genealogy Club will present, “Finding Family Dead or Alive” at 7:30 p.m. Sandra Lanman, an award-winning writer and public relations professional, will discuss how to mine documents, family stories, the Internet and other resources to locate relatives and even long lost friends. She will share how she found her mother’s biological family 70 years after and an ocean away from where she was given up for adoption, and how she located her father’s family and friends separated by the Holocaust. Beth El Synagogue is at 50 Maple Stream Road, East Windsor, N.J., 08520; 609-443-4454; www.bethel.net.
Sat., April 9
Friends of the Hickory Corner Library Book Sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hickory Corner Branch, Mercer County Library System, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor, N.J. Thousands of Books: fiction & non-fiction for children, young adults and adults. Proceeds are used to provide special programs for adults and children, including the Summer Reading Program, and to purchase new materials for the library. The sale will continue in the library through the week.
Sun., April 10
The Community Concert Association of Bordentown Inc. will host “Broadway-Style Musical Revue” at 3 p.m. in Bordentown Regional Middle School, 50 Dunn’s Mill Road, Bordentown. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $5 for seniors. This particular concert gives the opportunity to remember the great Broadway composers from the past 100 years who have made music that is authentically American and popular around the world. For additional concert or membership information, call 609-298-5465.
Temple B’nai Shalom in East Brunswick will host its Tricky Tray Raffle at 4 p.m. There will be three levels of prizes, grand prizes, and a 50/50 raffle. Admission is $15. Those who register in advance will receive a free level 1 ticket sheet. For more information and ticket order forms, go to www.bnaishalom.com or contact [email protected]. Temple B’nai Shalom is located at 15 Fern Road in East Brunswick.
Mon., April 11
Earth Day Upcycled Craft at 6:30 p.m. at the Plumsted Library. Celebrate Earth Day and join the Plumsted Youth for Nature and the Environment group (PYNE) and make an Earth Day upcycled craft. Ages 6-11. The Plumsted Branch is at 119 Evergreen Road. New Egypt. Stop in, call the branch at 609-758-7888, or check the website www.theoceancountylibrary.org to register and find out about all programs.
Wed., April 13
Harry Potter Night from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Plumsted Library. Celebrate National Library Week and join us for Harry Potter Night. Attend the Sorting Hat Ceremony to be assigned a House; stop by Ollivander’s to pick a wand; have a snack at the Leaky Cauldron; and make an owl at Eeylops Owl Emporium. Ages 6 and above. The Plumsted Branch is at 119 Evergreen Road. New Egypt. Stop in, call the branch at 609-758-7888, or check the website www.theoceancountylibrary.org to register and find out about all programs.
Sat., April 16
Join Temple B’nai Shalom 6 at 6 p.m. to watch the “Deli Man” movie. Experience a deli meal, watch the movie, and enjoy a concert by Cantors Jack and Fredda Mendelson. Pricing at the patron level is $54 per person which includes the concert, followed by dinner and the movie. Other sponsorship levels are available. For more information or to reserve your seat, visit the Temple B’nai Shalom website at www.bnaishalom.com or call 732-251-4300 ext. 222. Temple B’nai Shalom is located at 15 Fern Road in East Brunswick.