• 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.
• The Guild of Creative Art, 620 Broad St., Shrewsbury, is hosting a September solo exhibit featuring works by Paul Hansen from Sept. 3-28, with an opening reception on Sept. 11 from 3-5 p.m. Viewing hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details: 732-741-1441.
• A fossil hunt will be held in Holmdel from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 17 (rain date Sept. 24). Meet in the Holmdel Village School parking lot at the corner of McCampbell and Middletown roads across from the Ramanessin Trailhead. Participants will walk through the Ramanessin streambed searching and sifting for fossils. Local geologist and fossil hunter Dr. Jim Brown will lead the walk. The event is open to families and to children who are accompanied by an adult. Wear closed toed water shoes or old sneakers, clothes that can get wet, a towel, bug spray and sunscreen, water, a trowel, and a bucket or bag to hold your finds. Sifting equipment will be provided. Registration is not required and there is no cost to participate. Sponsored by Friends of Holmdel Open Space and Citizens for Informed Land Use. Details: Email [email protected] or call 917-991-8603.
• The Middletown Township Public Library will host the following programs for children and teenagers: How to Get Into an Ivy League School with Princeton Coaching Services, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. The session will provide a perspective on the college admissions process and three key questions the admissions committee at highly selective colleges will ask; College Planning Workshop presented by College Funding Associates, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. For teens and parents; learn how to maximize potential for financial aid and lower out-of-pocket college expenses; Teen Creative Writing, Mystery Edition, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. Write a mystery story at the library’s new creative writing club for teens; Cartooning Lessons with local artist and author Mike Dawson, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m.; “Move to the Music Bollywood Style,” a Diwali celebration, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. Explore Indian music and dance styles, and learn about the unique relationship Americans share with India through pop culture at this Diwali celebration for all ages; Learn to Draw Manga/Anime Characters for Teens, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. Learn how to draw fan favorite manga and anime characters with OneRiver Art School. To register for a program, visit the calendar page at mtpl.org
• The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, Freehold Township, will welcome rabbi-turned-cabaret singer Deborah Zecher in a cabaret style musical in-person and Zoom event on Sept. 18 at 4 p.m. Admission is $15 for museum members and $20 for non-members. Zecher describes herself as “a rabbi who sings the Great American songbook and more.” Make reservations by visiting www.jhmomc.org, or by calling 732-252-6990.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Historic Battery Lewis tours on Sept. 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. 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.
• 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
• 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 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].
• 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.