• New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, will conduct the following drives: July 15, Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold Township, 12:30-6:30 p.m.; and July 29, Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold Township, 12:30-6:30 p.m. Donors should report to the first floor Macy’s corridor (escalator based). Appointments are suggested. Walk-ins accepted if spacing allows. For an appointment visit nybc.org/drive and use sponsor code 65805 or call 800-933-2566.
• The board of the Strand Theater, 400 Clifton Ave., Lakewood, will hold a job fair on July 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Available positions are box office manager, theater manager, stagehands, ushers, interns, volunteers and employees for the concession stands. Volunteers are needed, but paid positions include those for concessions, box office, ushers and techs, according to their experience. Job-seekers should bring a resume and references. RSVP to [email protected] or to [email protected]
• The Monmouth County Park System will present a Cookstove Demonstration on July 16 and 30 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 present Historic Battery Lewis tours on July 16, 23, 24, 30 and 31 from noon to 4 p.m. and July 17 from 1-4 p.m. at Hartshorne Woods Park, Highlands, Rocky Point section. Tour the restored Historic Battery Lewis and learn about the history of this important former coastal defense site. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Mill Demonstrations on July 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 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 present Seabrook-Wilson House tours on July 17, 24 and 31 from 1-4 p.m. at Bayshore Waterfront Park, Middletown. Visit the house which dates back to the early 1700s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and see displays about the ecology of the bay and local history. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Enviro-Quest on July 14 at 11 a.m. at Tatum Park, Middletown, meet in the Red Hill Activity Center parking lot; July 21 at 11 a.m. at Thompson Park, Lincroft, meet in the Old Orchard parking lot; and July 28 at 11 a.m. at Big Brook Park, Marlboro, meet by the dock. Follow the Enviro-Quest signs to where the park system naturalist is waiting. Join a mini nature lesson, activity, or walk for 30 to 60 minutes of nature-based fun. Activities may include meeting a live animal, finding hidden treasures or discovering animal knickknacks. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Life in a Freshwater Pond on July 14, 21 and 28 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 and look for basking turtles, hopping frogs, hunting herons, splashing fish and more. Wear closed-toe shoes. Open to all ages; under 18 with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Naturalist Walks at Winter Run Activity Center on July 30 at 10 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 approximately 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 present the “Thrive” exhibit opening reception on July 14 from 5-9 p.m. at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township. Meet the artists whose works are featured in an interdisciplinary art exhibit that explores the cyclical nature of the world around us. Exhibit runs from July 9, 2022 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 Monmouth County Park System will present Walking Tours of Thompson Park on July 16 at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Thompson Park, Lincroft, meet in front of the Visitor Center. Tour covers the park’s origins as an 18th century farmstead, its horse racing days, and eventual use as a county park. Tours last one hour and are weather dependent. Participants should be prepared to walk 1 mile. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Accordion Melodies of the 1890s on July 16 from 1-3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. Hear melodies of the 1890s played on the accordion. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present Edible History: Ice Cream on July 16 from 2-3 p.m. at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township. Help make ice cream using 19th century recipes. Then, enjoy the ice cream. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present a threshing demonstration on July 16-17 from noon to 2 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. See the farm staff thresh their wheat crop using old-fashioned equipment. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present bluegrass and old-time music on July 17 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Thompson Park Theater Barn, Lincroft. The Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association will perform outside. There will also be musicians jamming from noon to 5 p.m. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will present “Under the Summer Stars” on July 20 from 10-11 p.m. at Dorbrook Recreation Area, Route 537, Colts Neck, meet in the soccer field parking lot. Join a guide and look for key objects and constellations in the summer night sky. Bring a chair and 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 present a concert in the park: Country Music with After the Reign on July 22 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Thompson Park Theater Barn, Lincroft. The band will perform modern country music and original material. Bring chairs or blankets. 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 present a 19th Century Woodworking Demonstration on July 23 from noon to 3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. See how the carpenter uses 19th century woodworking and carving tools during this demonstration. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education will hold the following public meetings: 7:30 p.m. July 19, regular action meeting, Wemrock Brook School, 118 Millhurst Road, Manalapan.
• 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: July 14, Joe Baracata Band; July 21, Matt O’Ree Band; July 28, Chuck Lambert Band with Coo Moe Jhee; 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.
• The Monmouth County Fair will be held from July 27-31 at the East Freehold Showgrounds, Freehold Township. Hours are 4-11 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. General admission is $8 per adult; children 17 and under are admitted free. Follow the Monmouth County Park System on social media. Upcoming fair contests will be announced on the park system’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, offering an opportunity to win admission tickets and more. The fair is organized and presented by the Monmouth County Park System in cooperation with the Monmouth County 4-H Association. Details: www.MonmouthCountyFair.com
• 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.
• Morganville United Methodist Church, 215 Conover Road, off Route 79, Marlboro, has reopened its Saturday thrift shop. The thrift shop will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon through July. New and nearly items including clothing, toys, home decor, jewelry, housewares, crafts and holiday decorations will be available for purchase. All are welcome to visit the thrift shop.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.