The Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands First Day Hike will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Jan. 1 at Mapleton Preserve/D&R Canal State Park Headquarters, 145 Mapleton Road, Kingston.
The walk is an easy 1.5-mile loop hike through the Mapleton Preserve. Dress for the weather. The walk is free and all are welcome.
Socialize after the walk over cocoa.
For more information, visit fpnl.org/ or call 609-683-0483.
SAMHAJ (South Asian Mental Health Awareness in Jersey) will hold its Central Jersey Support Group from 7-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 2 at NAMI-NJ, 1562 Route 130, North Brunswick.
Open to those dealing with mental illness, and their loved ones.
For more information, visit www.naminj.org.
A grand Hanukkah celebration is set for 4 p.m. on Dec. 29 at the Shoppes of North Brunswick, 522 Shoppes Blvd., North Brunswick.
A menorah will be carved out of ice and then all eight candles will be kindled. Live music by the Baker Brothers.
Hosted by the Chabad Jewish Center of South Brunswick, located in North Brunswick.
For more information, call 732-398-9492.
South Brunswick will hold a blood drive from 1-7 p.m. on Dec. 30 at the library, 110 Kingston Lane, Momouth Junction section of South Brunswick.
For more information, visit southbrunswicknj.gov
The South Brunswick Senior Center will hold its Staff Souper Bowl at 12:15 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the senior center, 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick.
The event is limited to the first 50 South Brunswick residents age 55 and older who register by Jan. 24.
For more information, call 732-329-4000, ext. 7670.
Bill Roufberg will present information on January’s Famous Trials at 10 a.m. Mondays at the South Brunswick Senior Center, 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick.
Jan 6. is Johnson & Clinton, Jan. 13 is Van Meegeren and Jan. 27 is the Hollywood Ten.
A new member mingle will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 9. Refreshments will be served.
Professor Maurice Mahler will present an art lecture on Pablo Picasso at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 17.
Students from the Crossroads Middle School South Jazz Band will perform at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 23.
Events are for South Brunswick residents age 55 and older. Sign up at the Senior Center to attend.
For more information, call 732-329-4000, ext. 7670.
The USS Avenger science fiction fan association will hold science fiction and fantasy author Keith R. A. DeCandido at 2 p.m. on Jan. 12 at the North Brunswick Library, 880 Hermann Road, North Brunswick.
The Avenger is also seeking new members to help build the organization. As a special offer, any individuals who join Starfleet and the chapter at this meeting will be offered a $1 gift toward the purchase of any book by DeCandido.
The South Brunswick Senior Center will hold its annual Day with the Characters fro 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 5.
Students from Crossroads Middle School North will perform “High School Musical.” Then, actors will have lunch with the seniors; bring a bagged lunch.
Transportation will be provided from the senior center to the school.
The trip is limited to 40 participants. Sign up in the offie by Jan. 29.
The Township of North Brunswick has created an opportunity for ice skating across the street from the Municipal Building, 710 Hermann Road.
The ice skating rink will be open through March 1. Hours of operation will be weekdays from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1:30-8:30 p.m.
Skates may be rented for $3 if sizes are available. Call the Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services at 732-247-0922, ext. 475 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to ensure there are no changes in operational times.
The rink will also be open for birthday parties.
For more information and training videos, visit northbrunswicknj.gov.
Any mothers with children up to age five are invited to join MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, who meet from 9-11:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of the month from October through June at the North Brunswick Library, 880 Hermann Road, North Brunswick.
Childcare will be provided.
For more information, visit www.meetup.com/middlesex-county/mops
The MOMS Club of North Brunswick is a group of stay-at-home or part-time working mothers of children of all ages who are interested in support, cultivating friendships and fun for the children.
For more information, visit momsclubofnorthbrunswick.blogspot.com.
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 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, 333 Davidson Ave., Somerset.
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 Founation Pediatric Cancer Humanitarian of the Year.
Sherrie and Michael Wells of South Brunswick started the Hugs for Brady Foundation in 2009, shortly after their 13-month-old son, Brady Michael, was diagnosed with non-differentiated acute leukemia. In 2010, Brady passed away at 23 months old, after he had battled the disease for 10 months.
For more information, tickets, sponsorship information, to donate or to take part in the silent auction, visit www.hugsforbrady.org.
Registration is open for the 44th annual Rutgers Home Gardeners School, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 21 at the Rutgers University Cook/Douglass campus in New Brunswick.
The Home Gardeners School is 40 individual workshop sessions that cover an array of horticulture topics. This format allows attendees to select the workshops that are most relevant to their gardening interests and create their own personalized schedule for a day of learning. Expert speakers from commercial horticulture and landscape design firms, as well as faculty and staff from Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE), will cover topics including landscape design, common problems and solutions, annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, beekeeping, hardscaping, best management practices and deer control methods.
The registration fee is $95, but early registration is $80 is being offered through Feb. 29. An additional discounted fee of $70 is available for Master Gardeners (certificate required) through Feb. 29.
Attendees are asked to bring food donations for Rutgers Against Hunger (RAH) or pet items for Scarlet Paws Rescue.
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.