• The Axelrod Performing Arts Center will present The Weeklings, featuring a unique tribute to the music and inspiration of The Beatles, on the outdoor deck at Bell Works, 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, on Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. Cocktails will be available for purchase. In the event of rain, the concert will take place in the atrium. Tickets are $38 in advance and $45 at the door and may be purchased by calling 732-531-9106, ext. 14, or by visiting www.axelrodartscenter.com
• The Ashley Lauren Foundation will hold its inaugural Touch A Truck fundraiser on Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bucks Mill Park, 125 Bucks Mill Road, Colts Neck. Admission, $5 (children under 2 free). Rain date is Aug. 27. There will be emergency trucks, food trucks, a New Jersey State Police helicopter, a replica Batmobile (with Batman and Robin), classic cars and motorcycles. For additional information and sponsorship information, call 732-414-1625 or visit www.ashleylaurenfoundation.org
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Fishing 101 – A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing, Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Manasquan Reservoir, Howell. Learn how to rig, bait, cast and, hopefully, catch a fish. Come and go at any time. Bait and tackle provided. Open to all ages; under 14 with adult. Fishing license required for ages 16 to 69. Stop by the Bait Shop to register. No groups. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Enviro-Quest on Aug. 4 at 11 a.m. at
Freneau Woods Park, Aberdeen Township, meet in the Visitor Center parking lot; and Aug. 25 at 11 a.m. at Perrineville Lake Park, Millstone Township, meet in the Agress Road parking lot. Follow the Enviro-Quest signs to where the park system naturalist is waiting. Once there, join in a mini-nature lesson, activity or walk for 30 to 60 minutes of nature-based fun. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Life in a Freshwater Pond, Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 11 a.m. to noon at Freneau Woods Park, Aberdeen Township, meet outside the Visitor Center. Join park system naturalists to explore a freshwater pond. Wear closed-toe shoes. Open to all ages; under 18 with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Pollinator Garden Tour on Aug. 5 from 10-11 a.m. at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, Howell, meet in the parking lot. This special garden is designed to provide habitat for wildlife, especially pollinators and butterflies. Get a personal tour and learn about the native plants which make it a home. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Spinning and Knitting Demonstration on Aug. 6 from 1-3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. See the art of spinning fleece and learn various methods of knitting. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Cookstove Demonstration on Aug. 6, 20 and 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. See what’s cooking on the woodstove and discover how recipes, cooking techniques and kitchens have changed since the 1890s. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Mill Demonstrations on Aug. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28 at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township. See the 19th century gristmill in action. Each demonstration lasts about 15 minutes. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Story Time in the Park on Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28 from 11-11:45 a.m. at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township.
A story will be read in front of the picturesque Crosswicks Creek. Bring a snack and a blanket or towel. During inclement weather attendees will meet in the front hall of the historic house. Open to ages 2-7, with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host an Under the Moonlight Walk on Aug. 11 from 8-9 p.m. at the Manasquan Reservoir, Howell, meet in the Environmental Center parking lot. Hike by the light of the rising full moon and explore the world of nocturnal creatures. Dress for the weather and plan to walk at least 1 mile. Bring a flashlight. Program may be cancelled due to overcast skies or inclement weather. Open to all ages; under 18 with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Naturalist Walks at Winter Run Activity Center on Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m. and Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. at the Manasquan River Greenway, Howell, meet at the Winter Run Activity Center. Join a park system naturalist at the new Winter Run Activity Center property, part of the Manasquan River Greenway and adjacent to the Manasquan Reservoir. Walks are about 45 minutes and 1 mile in length. Sturdy shoes and bug spray are highly recommended. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Old-Fashioned Fun and Games on Aug. 13 from 1-3 p.m. at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township. Play a variety of historically themed games to delight and challenge the entire family. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Performance in the Park – Travels Through Time: Roaring 20s Through the Fabulous 50s and Beyond on Aug. 20 from 7-8 p.m. at the Thompson Park Theater Barn, Lincroft. Performance presented by Jumpin Entertainment and the Roaring Rascals. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Nature Lecture Series – Box Turtles of Monmouth County on Aug. 25 from 7-8 p.m. at the Freneau Woods Park Visitor Center, Aberdeen Township. Join a park system naturalist for this talk about box turtles. Discover what these turtles eat, where they can be found and what threatens them. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Concert in the Park: Jukebox Heroes Live with the Mahoney Brothers on Aug. 26 from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Thompson Park Theater Barn, Lincroft. The show includes tributes to the Beatles, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and more. Bring lawn chairs or blankets, food and soft drinks. The concert is outdoors; however, if the weather is inclement, the concert will be moved indoors. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a potato harvest on Aug. 27-28 from noon to 2 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. Learn how potatoes were grown and harvested at the end of the 19th century. Help the farm staff bring in the crop and dig some potatoes for yourself. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Climb Time on Aug. 28 from noon to 3 p.m. at Freneau Woods Park, Aberdeen Township. Try the park system’s 25-foot-tall portable climbing wall. Individuals must be 42 inches or taller to climb. Open to ages 8 and up; under 18 with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education will hold the following meetings which are open to the public: Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m., regular action meeting, at Wemrock Brook School, 118 Millhurst Road, Manalapan.
• The Historic Village Inn at the corner of Main and Water streets in Englishtown will host tours on Aug 21. Guests are invited to step back into the 18th century and the time of the Battle of Monmouth. Docents in period attire bring Revolutionary War times to life with stories and local excavated artifacts. A requested donation is $3 for adults. Children under 12 are free. There is an on-site gift shop. Details: https://www.thevillageinn.org/
• Monmouth County officials have scheduled the following paper shredding events: Aug. 6, Freehold Borough, Park Avenue Elementary School, 280 Park Ave.; Sept. 24, Marlboro Municipal Complex, 1979 Township Drive; Oct. 1, Colts Neck, town hall parking lot, 124 Cedar Drive; Oct. 8, Freehold Township Municipal Building, 1 Municipal Plaza. All shredding events will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. County residents may shred up to 100 pounds of documents. Large binder clips must be removed from documents; staples and paper clips can remain. Information about the paper shredding events and recycling can be found in the recycling section of the county’s website, www.visitmonmouth.com, or call 732-683-8686, ext. 8967.
• New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, will conduct the following blood drives: Aug. 4. Monmouth County Court House, 71 Monument St., Freehold Borough, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566. Details: www.nybloodcenter.org
• Women of Color discussion group is an online meeting held once a month (third Tuesday at 5:30 pm) to discuss issues, coping strategies and resources relevant to women of color. Offered by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. Upcoming meeting dates are Aug. 16, Sept. 20, Oct. 18, Nov. 22 and Dec. 20. Email [email protected] to receive a link.
• “A Gathering of Womyn of Color” is an online group that meets once a month for all LGBTQ womyn of color in the Black, Indigenous, People of Color community. The group is an open discussion of multiple topics. The group meets on the first Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. Upcoming dates are Aug. 4, Sept. 1, Oct. 6, Nov. 3 and Dec. 1. Offered by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, the agency’s PEWS program and the Emotional Support for Families of Color Initiative. To receive a link, email [email protected]
• The Monmouth County Park System will present the “Thrive” exhibit at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township. The interdisciplinary art exhibit explores the cyclical nature of the world around us. Exhibit runs through July 7, 2023 and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The DowntownFreehold.com Thursdays Rock concert series takes place each Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Monmouth County Hall of Records plaza, Main Street, Freehold Borough. The concerts are free; bring a lawn chair. The schedule is as follows: Aug. 4, Parrot Beach; Aug. 11, Colossal Street Jam; Aug. 18, Pat Guadagno and Friends; Aug. 25, Turnstyles.
• The Freehold Borough Arts Council 2022 Jazz, Blues and More Summer Concert Series will take place every Sunday through August (June 5 through Aug. 28) from 7-9 p.m. at the Downtown Freehold Gazebo, Main Street, Freehold Borough. The concerts are free; bring a lawn chair.
• A farmers market will be held every Friday from July through October, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Monmouth County Hall of Records plaza, Main Street, Freehold Borough.
• Freehold Elks Lodge No. 1454 will hold an All-U-Can-Eat Sunday Breakfast from 9-11:30 a.m. on the third Sunday of every month at the lodge, 73 E. Main St., Freehold Borough. Extensive menu cooked to order. Adults, $11; children 12 and younger, $5.
• A new fellowship has started at the Morganville United Methodist Church, 215 Conover Road, Marlboro. Pizza with God features a pizza meal followed by music and devotions with crafts for youngsters. Come as you are and bring a dessert to share. The program will be held on the first Saturday of every month. Registration is requested on the church’s Facebook page, but is not required to attend. Details: Harry Cross, 908-770-6607.
• The Monmouth County Library offers six classes available at any time and without any advance registration on virtual Yoga, highlighting breathing, movement, stretching and other activities. Each program is offered at https://ly/MonCoLibraryYoga. The programs are offered by Steven Russell of Becoming Sound. Interested individuals may choose their own path with movements from six of the most popular library video class series. Sessions are Yoga Breathing; Yoga Stretching; Yoga Movement; Yoga Stretching with Support; Yoga at Home on the Floor; and Yoga at Home Standing. Individuals should consult a physician before starting any exercise program.
• Samaritan Center operates a food pantry to provide supplementary food for those in need in Manalapan, Marlboro, Morganville, Englishtown and Millstone Township. For information, call 732-446-1142 and make an appointment. Donations of funds and food are gratefully accepted to support the operation of the center.
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.