• Thompson Park Day will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 16 at Thompson Park, 805 Newman Springs Road (Route 520), Lincroft. Activities include children’s races, archery, pumpkin painting, wagon rides and more. Highlights include a scarecrow contest and a Spooktacular Jack O’ Lantern contest. Details for these contests are available online at www.MonmouthCountyParks.com. Some activities require a fee. Admission and parking are free.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Historic Battery Lewis Tours on Oct. 8, 9, 15 and 16 from noon to 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 host Seabrook-Wilson House Tours on Oct. 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 1-4 p.m. at Bayshore Waterfront Park, Middletown. Visit this 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 a Cookstove Demonstration on Oct. 8 and Oct. 22 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 an Awesome Autumn Amble on Oct. 12 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Huber Woods Environmental Center, Middletown (meet in the courtyard). Explore the trails with a park system naturalist and discuss plant and animal phenomenon. Open to all ages; under 18 with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Accordion Melodies of the 1890s on Oct. 15 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 Piano Ballads from the Turn of the Century on Oct. 22 from 1-3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. Tap your feet, dance a one-step or sing-along to popular turn-of-the-19th-century ballads as they are played in the farmhouse. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Nature Lecture Series – The Real Story of the Jersey Devil on Oct. 27 from 7-8 p.m. at Bayshore Waterfront Activity Center, Middletown. Learn about the history and folklore of the Jersey Devil during this talk by a park system naturalist. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a 19th Century Woodworking Demonstration on Oct. 29 from noon to 3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel.
See how a woodworker studies his materials, plies his tools and crafts beautiful and functional items. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, is conducting blood drives in the area which are open to the public. The following drives are scheduled: Oct. 7, St. Dorothea Church, 240 Broad St., Eatontown, 12:30-6:30 p.m.; and Oct. 25, 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. Details: www.nybloodcenter.org
• Rutgers Master Gardeners of Monmouth County will present Birds, Bugs and Beyond,
Celebrating Nature, a free festival for children of all ages, outdoors from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 8 (rain or shine) at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agriculture Building, 4000 Kozloski Road, Freehold Township. There will be nature-inspired activities, crafts and educational displays, 4-H animals, insects and reptiles, and more. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Details: 732-303-7614.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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].
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.