• The Monmouth County Park System will host Piano Ballads from the Turn of the Century on Sept. 3 from 1-3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. Turn-of-the-19th-century ballads will be performed in the farmhouse. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Historic Battery Lewis tours on Sept. 3, 4, 10, 17, 18, 24 and 25 from noon to 4 p.m. and Sept. 11 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 former coastal defense site. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Seabrook-Wilson House tours on Sept. 4, 11, 18 and 25 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 host the Casual Birder on Sept. 20 at 9 a.m. at Holmdel Park, Holmdel – meet at the Pond View shelter building. Join a naturalist for a morning bird walk (approximately 90 minutes). No need to be an expert at identifying birds to enjoy. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a cookstove demonstration on Sept. 10 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 Accordion Melodies of the 1890s on Sept. 10 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 host Bonsai Day on Sept. 11 from noon to 4 p.m. at Deep Cut Gardens, Middletown. Experience this intricate and ancient art through demonstrations and displays, with experts on hand to answer questions. Presented by the Monmouth County Park System and the Deep Cut Bonsai Society. Admission and parking are free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Nature Lecture Series: Knobbed Whelks of New Jersey on Sept. 15 from 7-8 p.m. at the Bayshore Waterfront Park Activity Center, Middletown. A naturalist will talk about knobbed whelks, seashells and other mysterious marine life. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Fall Plant Swap on Sept. 17. Plant intake from 8:30-10 a.m. Plant selection starts at 10 a.m. The event will be held at Tatum Park, Middletown – use the Red Hill Road entrance. Bring perennials in 1-quart, 1-gallon or 2-gallon containers and take home the same size and number of plants. Label all plants. Houseplants may also be exchanged, but no annuals. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host the Wind and Sea Festival on Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bayshore Waterfront Park, Middletown. Celebrate all things water-related such as kayaking, fishing, kite flying, sandcastle building and more during a family friendly festival. Admission and parking are free. Some activities may have a fee. Parking at the Belford Ferry Terminal. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Preserving the Harvest on Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. Learn about 19th century techniques for food preservation such as salting, pickling, drying and jelling. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Harvest Home Festival on Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. This old-fashioned fair is reminiscent of the 1890s. Visitors can enjoy games, wagon rides and live entertainment. Admission and parking are free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Concert in the Park: A Night of Jazz and Blues on Sept. 30 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Thompson Park Theater Barn, Lincroft
The roots of blues and jazz music run deep at the Jersey Shore. Listen to talent from the area. Bring chairs or blankets, food and soft drinks. The concert will be held outdoors, but will move indoors if the weather is inclement. All ages welcome; under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Free. Details: 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: Sept. 10, Union Beach Recycling Center, 1400 Florence Ave.; and 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.
• The Monmouth County Park System is seeking entries into its upcoming Autumn Terrains exhibit. The exhibit, to be held from Sept. 16 through Nov. 19 at the Gallery in the Thompson Park Creative Arts Center, Lincroft, will reflect the palette, essence and aesthetics of the autumn season. Nontraditional and traditional renderings are welcome. Additional information and an entry form are available on The Gallery at Thompson Park page at www.MonmouthCountyParks.com. Entry deadline is Aug. 26.
• New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, is conducting blood drives which are open to the public. The following drives are scheduled: Sept. 25, St. James Church, 20 Peters Place, Red Bank, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Sept. 26, North Centerville Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, 372 Middle Road, Hazlet, 1-7 p.m.; Sept. 27, Lincroft Bible Church, 790 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, 1-7 p.m. To donate blood or for information about how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Life in a Freshwater Pond, Aug. 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 Cookstove Demonstration on Aug. 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 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.
• 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 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 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 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. 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.
• Embroiderers’ Guild of America – Monmouth Chapter is dedicated to teaching and sharing the joys of needlework. The organization welcomes stitchers of all levels. Evening stitchers will meet via Zoom on the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Day stitchers will meet via Zoom on the third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. Details: Toni, 732-462-5540, or visit website:www.mcega.org
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.