- The Friends of the Jamesburg Library will hold its annual holiday sale starting Dec. 7 at 229 Gatzmer Ave, Jamesburg.
The sale of gently used items will run throughout December. Handmade dish towels.
The library is closed Tuesdays and Sundays.
Call 732-521-0440 for more information.
All proceeds help to fund summer programs. - The East Brunswick Woman’s Club will hold its Seasons of the Holiday dinner and raffle at 6 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Campozino Restaurant, 16 Ferry St., South River.
Funds raised support the East Brunswick Recreation Department’ efforts to help those in need during the holiday season.
Dinner is $48 per person and includes a full course meal and beverages.
Reservations are required in advance. Call Sally at 732-254-4082 by Dec. 6.
For information about the Woman’s Club’s activities, call Laura at 732-254-5742.
The next regular club meeting is scheduled for Jan. 14.
- Santa’s Bake Shop and Handmade Store will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Dec. 14 by Trinity Presbyterian Church, 385 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
An abundance of homemade cookies, cakes, breads, pies, candies and other goodies as well as handcrafted gift items will be available for purchase.
For more information, call 732-257-6636.
- Disability Allies is holding its second annual Holiday Party from 5-7:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 at The Young Adult Community Inclusion Center, 415 Route 18, East Brunswick.
The cost to attend is $10 per person, or bring a non-perishable food item or gift donation for the Disability Allies Adopt-A-Family basket to attend at no cost.
Activities will include creating a craft for the Disability Allies Giving Tree, music with a dance contest and karaoke.
Register in advance at disabilityallies.com/holiday.
For more information about the this event, contact Audrey Weiner at 732-789-7027 or at [email protected].
To learn more about the services, visit www.disabilityallies.com.
- The East Brunswick Library will hold its annual Tech Week Programming series beginning Dec. 8 with an open house of the library’s EB Create makerspace, Civic Center Drive, East Brunswick. A music creation workshop using the free Sonic Pi software will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 for teenagers who want to compose electronic music through a simple coding program.
Other programs include using the library’s eBooks at 2 p.m. on Dec. 10; Photoshop help at 7 p.m. on Dec. 10; building an online resume at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 11; tech travel tips for seniors at 3 p.m. on Dec. 11; coding LED pet collars at 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 11; and password safety at 4 p.m. on Dec. 12.
The library is also hosting its sixth annual Hour of Code events for teens in grades 7-12 from 5-7 p.m. on Dec. 14. Partnering with the East Brunswick High School Code Club, this after-hours program includes several activities, including a QR code scavenger hunt, coding workshops and competitions, and hands on-robot building. Seating is limited. Registration is required by visiting www.bit.ly/hoc2k19. Catering for the Hour of Code is provided by Carrabba’s Italian Grill. Additional snacks and beverages will be available for purchase from the Teen Friends of the Library.
The popular two-day Likeable STEM workshop for teens in grades 6-12 returns from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 and 15.
There are also several programs planned for children, including a Scratch Jr. coding lesson at 2 p.m. on Dec. 8, a Family Green Screen Holiday Photo event at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 9, and a “Star Wars”-themed STEM party with droid racing, lightsaber battles and crafts at 1 p.m. on Dec. 14.
A complete listing of upcoming Tech Week programs can be found online at www.ebpl.org
- The Jamaica Organization of New Jersey (JON-J) will hold its annual Pre-New Year’s Ball from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Dec. 28 at The Imperia, 1714 Easton Ave., Somerset.
Proceeds benefit the organization’s scholarship fund for awards to local high school graduates who are going on to college and for a donation to Hampton School in Jamaica towards infrastructure improvements.
Tickets are $110. Cash bar.
For tickets, visit brownpapertickets.com.
- The ladies of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church will hold their annual Advent Tea by Candlelight community event at 3 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the church fellowship hall, 151 Milltown Road, East Brunswick, near the intersection with Harts Lane. Follow the church driveway to the parking lot at the top of the hill.
This annual Advent program, for women and by women, is free to the community and features Christmas music, light meal, coffee, tea and dessert.
The weeks before Christmas can be a very hectic time. Their goal is to instill a spirit of calmness and to focus on the spiritual blessings of Christmas.
RSVP by calling 732-254-1207 or by emailing pastorpeterwalther@gmail.com.
- The East Brunswick Historical Society will present a program on the history of inventing in New Jersey at 2 p.m. on Dec. 8 at the East Brunswick Historical Society Farmhouse, 78 Milltown Road, East Brunswick.
Linda Barth, historian and author, has written two books on the Delaware and Raritan Canal, has written three children picture books, and has spent 45 years in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District teaching fourth grade and substituting after retirement.
Refreshments will be served.
For more information, call 732-249-3522.
- Corpus Christi Church will hold its annual cookie walk from 11 a.m. until the cookies sell out on Dec. 8 in the church hall, 100 James St., South River.
Cost is $8 per pound. Pies, cakes, candy and dog treats will be available for purchase.
For more information, text/call 732-770-8245 or email [email protected].
- The Children’s Holiday Extravaganza will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 14 at Raymour & Flanigan, in the Midstate Mall, 300 Route 18, East Brunswick.
Free admission includes Christmas crafts, pictures with Santa, light refreshments and holiday music courtesy of Corpus Christi Faith Formation Children.
There will be a silent auction and baked goods will be available for sale.
Children’s Movie Night Out will feature “Wonder” from 7-9:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 in the church hall. All children ages 5-12 are invited; $5 per child to help cover food.
Register by texting/calling 732-770-8245 or emailing [email protected].
- Breakfast with Santa will be held on Dec. 14 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 367 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
There will be a homemade breakfast of eggs, sausage, pancakes, and hot and cold beverages served from 8:30-10:30 a.m., with Santa arriving at 10:30 a.m. to meet and greet the children.
Tickets will be sold at the door: $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 3-12, and free for children age 2 and under.
A magic show, face painting and other special treats are included.
In addition, the Women of Trinity will offer Santa’s Bake Show with an abundance of homemade goods as well as handcrafted gift items for purchase.
For more information, call 732-257-6636.
The South River High School Adopt-A-Family Program Club is requesting donations to help create a memorable holiday by supplying gifts and necessities to families in need in the borough.
In the past, this program has assisted more than 100 children in the community.
The club is currently asking for toys, new clothing, food or a monetary gift to assist in purchasing items.
A drop off bin for items is located at the South River Public Library, 55 Appleby Ave. To donate a monetary gift, make the check payable to SRHS – Adopt-A-Family.
For more information, contact Debbie Napolitano at 732-613-4000 ext. 1223 or email [email protected].
T A Sprinkler, Inc. will hold its annual Winter Wonderlights Spectacular from Nov. 30 to Jan. 5, 2020, at the Middlesex County Fairgrounds, 655 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
There will be Christmas lights, food, hot chocolate and photo opps with Santa.
For the fourth consecutive year, residents can anticipate South River police officers and staff members sporting mustaches and beards to raise money and awareness for cancer.
Coming on the heels of the department’s breast cancer awareness initiatives during October, No-Shave November is about embracing hair, which many patients lose during cancer treatment. Money typically spent on razors and shaving during the month is instead donated to charity for cancer research and to aid those fighting cancer battles.
Each participating officer has personally made a monetary donation to the cause.
Donations can be made directly to No-Shave.org under the South River Police Department team. The goal of the department is to raise $2,500. Visit www.no-shave.org/team/srpd
Our Lady of Lourdes (OLOL) Parish will hold its annual Christmas Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the church, 44 Cleveland Ave., Milltown.
Since the Bazaar is on Pearl Harbor Day, visitors are invited to sign a selection of Christmas cards to thank our veterans, or can bring their own. The goal is to deliver 300 cards to the New Jersey State Veterans Memorial Home in Menlo Park.
The event will offer a day of holiday shopping, food and family activities. Highlights include the OLOL Emporium, old fashioned bake sale, New-to-You Christmas booth, ornament booth, vintage jewelry booth, religious articles booth, stocking stuffer booth and “nearly new” toys. Games and crafts for children, basket raffles, a gift card Christmas tree raffle and Magic Christmas Tree will return. Vendors will be offering crafts, jewelry, designer bags, homemade chocolate and candy, toys, decorative items, Scentsy, Thirty-One, crochet and knit items, wreaths and grave covers.
For information regarding the silent auction, visit www.ololchurchnj.org.
The Knights of Columbus’s annual Breakfast with Santa will also take place on Dec. 7, with seatings at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Advance registration is necessary.
Breakfast and lunch items will also be available for purchase.
For more information, call Bernadette at 732-828-6726, visit www.ololchurchnj.org or visit Facebook at ololmilltown.
The High School Equivalency Program is currently running and will conclude in May. Classes are held from 6-8:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at East Brunswick High School, 380 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick. Classes prepare attendees for TASC; not a testing center.
The Citizenship Program is currently running and will conclude in May. Classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays in Meeting Room 3 at the East Brunswick Library, 2 Jean Walling Civic Center Dr. Classes run either from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or from 12:30-3 p.m. dependent on class level.
Spotswood Reformed Church will hold a craft fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the church, 429 Main St., Spotswood.
Call 732-251-9277 for more information.
The Monroe Township Police Department will hold its sixth annual toy drive to benefit the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Drop off an unwrapped toy or non-monetary donation for children of all ages at the Monroe Township Police Department, 3 Municipal Plaza, through Dec. 8.
Due to infection control and allergy issues, the hospital can only accept new toys and cannot accept stuffed animals.
Specific toys requested by the hospital can be found at amzn.com/w/2FHTSA5I133KI
The Monroe Township Cultural Arts Commission, in collaboration with the Monroe Township Public Library, will present Boheme Opera, with a lecture by Jerry Kalstein, at 1 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the Monroe Township Public Library, 4 Municipal Plaza, Monroe.
“From Opera to Broadway” focuses on the origins and development that occurred over the centuries that begin with classic opera, change into Victorian era operetta and then become classic and modern Broadway. Focus will be given to both the style and form that begins with operatic arias and becomes modern songs. Composers will include Mozart, Puccini, Lehar, Strauss, Kern and Gershwin.
Admission is free.
East Brunswick Elks Lodge 2370 will hold Breakfast with Santa from 9 a.m. to noon on Dec. 15 at the lodge, 21 Oakmont Ave., East Brunswick.
Full breakfast buffet. Free photo with Santa. Dance party. Face painting.
Holiday attire is encouraged.
Cost is $10 per person. Children 5 and under are free.
RSVP is requited by emailing [email protected] or by calling 732-567-6671.
Playhouse 22 announced its 2019-20 season lineup:
“A Christmas Carol” will be Dec. 13-22.
“The Mystery of Edwin Drood” will be Feb. 7-23.
“Harvey” will be March 20 to April 5.
“Camelot” will be June 12-28.
All performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Sundays.
Tickets for the main stage are $22 for adults or $20 for seniors and students.
A season subscription of three shows is $63 per person, or $57 for seniors and students. A select package of four shows is $80 per person or $72 for seniors and students. An elite package of five shows is $95 per person, or $85 for seniors and students.
Special times will be announced for “A Christmas Carol.” All tickets to “A Christmas Carol” and other special events and concerts are $15.
Playhouse 22 is located at the Community Arts Center, 721 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
For tickets, visit www.playhouse22.org.
One Steep at a Thyme will hold its seventh annual Dickens’ Christmas Tea from Dec. 6-22 at the tea room, 170 Gatzmer Ave., Jamesburg.
Evening, twilight or brunch tea service with a one-hour reading of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens by professional actors.
Evening and twilight teas include seven courses at $75 per person, all-inclusive. Brunch teas are five courses at $60 per person.
For the complete schedule and to make reservations, visit www.onesteepatathyme.com. For more information, visit www.travelingliteracytheater.com.
Library officials are looking to exceed their goal of at least 20 quilts/muffs to donate to residents in Monroe.
For more about the project, visit www.monroetwplibrary.org/news/fidget-quilts-to-donate/.
- Central Jersey SCORE, a non-profit resource partner of the Small Business Administration, is seeking volunteers to assist people looking to start a business or grow an existing small business.
The organization is recruiting retired or current business owners and executives who want to share their experience and knowledge with today’s up-and-coming entrepreneurs. The Central Jersey Chapter of SCORE serves Middlesex, Somerset and Hunterdon counties.
Central Jersey SCORE provides in-person mentoring at a wide variety of locations and also presents seminars at local venues. In addition, the SCORE website offers tools and templates on a wide variety of topics related to organizing and managing a business and numerous online courses and webinars to assist small business owners through every aspect of business development. Services are offered free of charge.
For more information, visit www.centraljersey.score.org.
The United States Census Bureau is seeking applicants for jobs for the 2020 Census.
For information on how to apply, visit 2020census.gov/jobs or call 1-855-JOB-2020.
The 10th annual Hugs for Brady Foundation Winter Gala will be themed “Oh What a Night!,” featuring entertainment from the stars of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys,” on Jan. 25 at The Palace at Somerset Park
The gala honors individuals who have made significant contributions to help those affected by childhood cancer. This year’s honorees are The 2020 Gala Committee as the Ellen Gambatese Pediatric Cancer Volunteer of the Year; Roy G. Svenson as the Brady Buggy Wagon Volunteer of the Year; Steven K. Libutti, director of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, as the Dr. Randy Siegel Pediatric Cancer Medical Humanitarian of the Year; and Kevin Cummings, chairman and CEO of Investors Bank, as the Hugs for Brady Foundation Pediatric Cancer Humanitarian of the Year.
For more information, tickets, sponsorship information, to donate or to take part in the silent auction, visit www.hugsforbrady.org.