• The Monmouth County Park System will host its Fall Craft Show at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center, 2566 Guam Lane, Tinton Falls, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 12. This seasonal craft show features the work of local artists and crafters. Items include candles, country home décor, doll clothes, hand-painted glassware, holiday ornaments and decorations, paintings and prints, pottery and ceramics, wreaths and more. Admission and parking are free. Details: www.MonmouthCountyParks.com or call 732-842-4000.
• Monmouth County officials have scheduled paper shredding events so residents have the opportunity to dispose of old documents and confidential files safely. All shredding events will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations: Nov. 12, Middletown North High School, 63 Tindall Drive, Middletown. 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 blood drives which are open to the public. The following drives are scheduled: Nov. 8, Lincroft Fire Company, 601 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, 12:30-6:30 p.m.; Nov. 21, North Centerville Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, 372 Middle Road, Hazlet, 1-7 p.m.; Nov. 29, Lincroft Bible Church, 790 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, 1-7 p.m. To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org
• The Monmouth County Park System will present a Nature Lecture Series: The American Eel in New Jersey on Nov. 3 from 7-8 p.m. at Bayshore Waterfront Park Activity Center, Middletown. Join a park system naturalist for a talk about fascinating creatures that make an annual journey from fresh and brackish waters along the Jersey Shore to the salty Sargasso Sea. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Climb Time on Nov. 5 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 tall or taller to climb. Open to ages 8 and up; under 18 with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present a Cookstove Demonstration on Nov. 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Longstreet Road, 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 present an Awesome Autumn Amble on Nov. 16 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Big Brook Park, Marlboro, meet in the lower pond parking lot; and on Nov. 30 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Freneau Woods Park, Aberdeen Township, meet in the Visitor Center parking lot. Explore the trails with a park system naturalist and discuss all manners of plant and animal phenomenon. Open to all ages; under 18 with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present a Fall Craft Show on Nov. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center, Tinton Falls. The show will feature more than 40 crafters. Admission and parking are free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Piano Ballads from the Turn of the Century on Nov. 12 from 1-3 p.m. inside the farmhouse at Historic Longstreet Farm, Longstreet Road, Holmdel. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present a Cider Making Demonstration on Nov. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Longstreet Road, Holmdel. Guests can help press this year’s apple harvest into cider. Sample fresh cider and talk about other uses for cider on the farm. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Accordion Melodies of the 1890s on Nov. 19 from 1-3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Longstreet Road, Holmdel. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Nature on the Move on Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. at Huber Woods Environmental Center, Middletown. Look for the colorful Nature on the Move van and join a park system naturalist for a 30- to 45-minute hands-on interactive program. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Holiday Made in Monmouth event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 10 in the Robert J. Collins Arena on the campus of Brookdale Community College, Route 520, Lincroft (the original date was Dec. 3). Vendor registration will open at 10 a.m. Sept. 27. Details: 732-431-7387.
• Dove Hospice Services of New Jersey is seeking volunteers who are willing to make a difference with individuals who are experiencing the challenge of end-of-life. Volunteers dedicate a small amount of time each month to provide companionship-friendly visits; play cards; sewing, knitting or craft projects; music enrichment; pet therapy; and office or administrative assistance. Dove Hospice Services is also seeking veterans who are interested in providing compassion, support and outreach to fellow veterans and their families. Visits can be made to individuals living in facilities or private homes. Ongoing training is provided. Volunteers must be 18 or older and a COVID vaccine is required. Details: Michelle Rutigliano, 732-405-3035.
• 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 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 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].
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.