• Manalapan Day will take place from 3-10 p.m. June 8 at the Manalapan Recreation Center, Route 522 at Taylors Mills Road, Manalapan. The event is presented by the Manalapan Arts Council. Residents from all towns are welcome to attend. There will be games, rides, a petting zoo, exhibits, food vendors, local performance groups and entertainment. The featured performers at 8 p.m. will be Under the Streetlamp, with former members of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys.” A fireworks display will conclude the evening.
• The Colts Neck Community Band will perform a concert in the park at 7:30 p.m. June 6 at the Thompson Park Theater Barn, Lincroft. The concert features selections from popular music and show tunes. Indoor seating available or bring a lawn chair. This is a free event. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Mourning After is a grief counseling program designed to assist people with recent and not-so-recent losses adjust to the emotions of grieving and the long-term changes that follow. The program is led by licensed professional counselors Bob Szita and Bernice Garfield-Szita. The group meets monthly on Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Center Playhouse, 35 South St., Freehold. Upcoming dates are June 7. A voluntary donation is accepted. New attendees are asked to call in advance at 732-577-1076 or [email protected] or www.GIERS.org
• The Colts Neck Shade Tree Commission will hold public meetings at 7:30 p.m. on the following dates in the meeting room at Town Hall, 124 Cedar Drive, Colts Neck: June 6, July 11, Aug. 1, Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5. Details: 732-462-5470.
• A prostate cancer awareness event, “Brothers Caring For Brothers,” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 15 at the Wicker Memorial Baptist Church, 180 Greenwood Road, Morganville. Men’s fellowship; guest speaker, the Rev. Charles Bates; free blood pressure screening; physician on site; light refreshments. Free will offering. Details: Brother Richard, 732-934-0122.
• The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, Freehold Township, will present “A Tale of Two Cities: Tales from the Early History of the Jews in New York and Philadelphia,” a lecture by Rabbi Dr. Robert E. Fierstien at 11 a.m. June 26. Admission is $3 for museum members and $5 for non-members. Students are free. The talk will be followed by a light lunch. To make a paid reservation (non-refundable), call 732-252-6990 or visit jhmomc.org/events
• The Freehold Memorial Day Parade Committee, in conjunction with Jersey Freeze, Freehold, will host a fundraiser for the 2020 parade all day on June 18. Jersey Freeze will donate 20% of a guest’s pre-tax check to the parade committee. When paying, guests should advise the servers they are there for the parade fundraiser (restaurant and ice cream side). Visit www.freeholdmemorialdayparade.com to download the parade flier.
• Members of the Raritan Bay Radio Amateurs and Manalapan ARES/RACES group will take part in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 22 in the parking lot at Manalapan town hall, Route 522. Field Day demonstrates ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions and to create an independent communications network. All are welcome to attend the event. Details: Email [email protected] or visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio
• Freehold Regional High School District’s Naval Junior ROTC fourth annual golf outing will be held on July 15 at the Battleground Country Club, Manalapan. The cost to golf is $225, which includes super ticket and a chance to win a 2019 BMW with a hole-in-one, lunch, dinner, complimentary beverages throughout the day and the use of country club facilities. Registration begins at noon, shotgun start at 2 p.m. The evening concludes with a reception and gift basket auction beginning at 7 p.m. Individuals interested in attending may contact Renay Friedman at [email protected] or 732-492-7400.
• The Monmouth County Fair will return to the East Freehold Showgrounds, Kozloski Road, Freehold Township, from July 24-28. Hours for the fair are 5-11 p.m. July 24-26; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 27; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 28. The 2019 Main Stage entertainment is as follows: July 24, Start Making Sense, a Talking Heads tribute band; July 25, Big House Band; July 26, Jake’s Rockin’ Country Band; July 27, School of Rock, and Jobonanno and the Godsons present “The Spirit of Asbury Revue” and July 28, Last Whippoorwill. Details: 732-842-4000.
• An Eco-Elephant Family Flea Market will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 15 at the Dorbrook Recreation Area, Route 537, Colts Neck. Browse vendors and look for unexpected treasures at this outdoor market. Admission and parking are free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Casual Birder will be held at 9 a.m. June 13 in Big Brook Park, Marlboro (meet in main parking lot) and at 9 a.m. June 27 at the Manasquan Reservoir, Howell (meet in Environmental Center parking lot). Join a Monmouth County Park System naturalist for a laid-back morning bird walk. Open to ages 11 and up; under 16 with adult. This is a free event. Details: 732-842-4000.
• DowntownFreehold.com has announced its 2019 Thursdays Rock concert lineup. The free concerts take place at the Monmouth County Hall of Records Plaza from 7:30-9:30 p.m. All ages welcome. The bands are: June 6, Moroccan Sheepherders; June 13, The Snakes; June 20, Mission Dance; June 27, Motor City Revue; July 4, Eddie Testa Band with special guest; July 11, Rockit Fish; July 18, Soul Project NOLO; July 25, The Springsteen Experience; Aug. 1, Joe Keyes and the Late Bloomer Band; Aug. 8, Joe Baracata Band; Aug. 15, Stephen Martines; and Aug. 22, Full Throttle. Details: DowntownFreehold.com
• The Jewish Home for Rehabilitation and Nursing, 1151 W. Main St. (Route 537), Freehold Township, hosts a free monthly support group called the Jewish Caregiver’s Experience on the last Tuesday evening of each month. Caregivers of all ages seeking support, resources and a Jewish perspective on managing their responsibilities are welcome to attend. Light kosher refreshments will be served. Details: Jolie, 732-202-1000, ext. 4003.
• Samaritan Center, a joint ministry of St. Thomas More and Old Tennent Presbyterian churches, operates a food pantry to provide supplementary food for those in need in Manalapan, Marlboro, Englishtown and Millstone Township. For information, call 732-446-1142 and make an appointment. Pickup dates are Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30-11:15 a.m. and Saturday from 9-11 a.m. Volunteers will gladly carry food to a client’s vehicle. Donations of funds and food are gratefully accepted to support the operation of the center. Volunteers are always welcome.
• Members of the 1994 New York Rangers Stanley Cup championship team – Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Adam Graves and Mike Richter – will appear at the Event Center at iPlay America, Freehold Township, on June 30. All ticket holders will have access to a Q&A experience with the former players. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. and the Q&A will start at 3 p.m. Various packages are available for purchase at https://www.iplayamerica.com/core4
• Monmouth County will hold a paper shredding event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 12 at Colts Neck Town Hall, 124 Cedar Drive, Colts Neck. County residents may bring up to 100 pounds of documents to be shredded. Details: See the recycling section of the county website at www.VisitMonmouth.com or call 732-683-8686, ext. 6721.
• The Fresh Air Fund is seeking area residents willing to volunteer to host a child from New York City this summer through the Friendly Towns Program. Children are boys and girls, ages 7-18. Details: Karen Medlin, 732-740-0449, or www.freshair.org
• John P. Stevens High School, Edison, Class of 1969 will hold its 50-year reunion on Aug. 10 at Galloping Hills Caterers, Union. Cocktail hour from 6-7 p.m., dinner from 7-11 p.m. Cost is $75 per person. Payment and RSVP to Donna Ciccone, 9 Anita Ave., Edison, NJ 08820. Details: Debbie DeMauro Bava, email [email protected]
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.