• The Green Leaf Pet Resort and Hotel and Shelly’s School for Dogs will host their fourth annual dog festival on May 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 23 Burnt Tavern Road, Millstone Township. Rain date is May 22. All dogs and people are welcome. There will be activities and special events. Details: 609-259-1500.
• Debows United Methodist Church, corner of Route 537 and Route 571, Jackson, will host a pasta dinner from 4:30-7 p.m. May 21. There will be three types of pasta, meatballs, meat sauce, salad, bread, coffee, tea and dessert. Cost is $10 per person (13 and over), $6 per person (ages 5-12), and free for children 4 and under. All are welcome to attend. Take-out orders will be available. Details: 732-928-4475.
• The Noontime Optimist Club of Freehold will present Mike McGrath, host of the nationally syndicated public radio show “You Bet Your Garden,” on May 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Fernbrook Farms’ education center in Chesterfield. The event will support Camp Quality New Jersey and other youth oriented organizations. “You Bet Your Garden” will feature organic gardening tips, light “farm to table” refreshments and a meet and greet with McGrath. Tickets are $55 and may be purchased at www.noontimeoptimists.com. Details: Carole Robinson, 732-431-3989, or Pat DiGiacomo, 732-863-1817.
• Camp Invention will take place in Millstone Township this summer. The camp is open to children entering grades one through six. Children will explore connections between science, technology, engineering and innovation. The week begins on Aug. 1 with Michelle Falanga serving as director of the Epic program. Registration is $155 (regular price $255), due to a generous donation provided by the Nordson Corporation Foundation. Details: www.campinvention.org or 800-968-4332.
• The Italian American Cultural Society of New Jersey will meet for dinner on May 12 at 7 p.m. at Frankie Fed’s, 831 Route 33 East, Freehold Township. The festivities will include food and a cultural guest speaker. The restaurant is BYOB. The cost is $35 per person for members and $45 for non-members. Cash is preferred, no credit cards. To reserve seating, call Anthony Grassi at 917-743-3311 or Richard Favara at 732-861-9465.
• The Horsemen’s Association of Millstone Township will meet at 7 p.m. May 17 at the Millstone Community Center, Stagecoach Road (next to the firehouse).
Anyone who has an interest in horses is invited to attend the meeting and learn about upcoming trail rides, speakers and other activities. Details: www.hamt.org
• The Standardbred Retirement Foundation will host a Meet and Greet and Tack Sale from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 22 at 43 Arneytown-Hornerstown Road, Cream Ridge. About 60 horses will be on hand to greet visitors, some in demonstrations, all available for adoption. A tack sale will be held and there is no charge for guests to set up to sell their own. Guests should bring their own table. Should there be a change due to weather, it will be posted on SRF’s Facebook page and on SRF’s website at AdoptaHorse.org. Details: Email Admin@srfmail.com or call 732 446-4422.
• A yard sale fundraiser will be held at the Thomas Baird Homestead, 24 Baird Road, Millstone Township, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 21 (rain date, May 22). Donation drop-off dates are May 17 and May 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and May 18-19 from noon to 3 p.m. Suggested donations include toys, furniture, housewares, tools, home decor, books. Details: Email randieru@gmail.com, call 732-522-2184 or visit www.mtfriendsofhistory.org
• Barnes & Noble, Route 9, Freehold, will host two authors for book signings. All are welcome to attend. On May 18 at 6 p.m., the book store will host Marlo Berliner, the author of “The Ghost Chronicles.” On May 19 at 7 p.m., the book store will host William Smith, the author of “7 Days to Live Forever.”
• The award-winning Heart of New Jersey Chorus, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, under the direction of Jeanne Elmuccio, will present “The Heart Sings,” with special guests, 2015 Region 19 champion quartet “Famous Janes,” on May 22 at 3 p.m. at the Millstone Township Primary School, 18 Schoolhouse Road, Millstone Township. Tickets are $15 for general admission; $12 for seniors and students. For tickets, call 732-527-3343, or purchase tickets at the door.
• The Millstone Township Open Space and Farmland Preservation Council will host the 10th annual clambake fundraiser on June 12 at Wagner Farm Park, Millstone Township. Limited tickets are available and must be purchased in advance. Tickets are $30 per adult and $10 per child if purchased by May 21. Children’s tickets do not include lobster. The adult ticket price increases to $35 effective May 22. Details: Lori Maher, 732-446-4249, ext. 1103, or L-Maher@millstonenj.gov
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Walnford Day on May 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township. This family friendly event features hands-on activities, old-fashioned games, exhibits and wagon rides. Ongoing demonstrations include spinning, woodworking, blacksmithing and milling. Visitors will also have the opportunity to tour the house and hear live harpsichord music. Admission and parking are free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• Michael Strengari, staff horticulturist at Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Township, will be the featured speaker at the May 12 meeting of the Allentown Garden Club. Strengari is an avid naturalist and his talk will focus on the living art and garden interest that is not fully described by the word “Grounds” in Grounds for Sculpture. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Allentown Methodist Church, Church Street, and all are welcome to attend. Details: www.AllentownGardenClub.org
• Millstone Elks Lodge No. 2613, 22 Burnt Tavern Road, Millstone Township, will run a bus trip to see the New York Mets play the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia on July 15 at 7:05 p.m. Cost is $60 per person and includes bus, game ticket and refreshments on the bus. Bus will leave at 4 p.m. from the Elks lodge. For tickets, call Tom, 732-904-8366. The Elks Lodge has space available for daytime/evening meetings. Details: 609-259-8911.
• Knights of Pythias, Grand Lodge Domain of New Jersey, invites men of all ages and from all communities to learn about the organization at a complimentary buffet breakfast and orientation to be held at 10 a.m. May 15 at the Monroe Township Senior Center, 12 Halsey Reed Road, Monroe Township. Guests will learn about the charitable work provided by the Knights and the social activities the group offers. Reservations are required. Details: 609-851-0914 or email al1425@msn.com
• Individuals age 11 and over may receive free instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on June 4. Residents of all towns are welcome to attend. First Aid & CPR, LLC, will host a free American Heart Association hands-only training event at the Manalapan Community Center, 114 Route 33, Manalapan. Training will be offered every hour on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees will be trained to spot a sudden cardiac arrest, call 911 and provide hands-only CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator. Pre-registration is required by calling 732-414-6072 or 888-242-4259. Details: www.FirstAid.org
• The Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair will be take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 14 (rain or shine) at Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Route 33, Manalapan. The event is a historical festival for all ages. Five centuries of New Jersey’s history will be represented by exhibitors from all 21 New Jersey counties, plus Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. Activities include 19th century baseball, plowing demonstrations, Lenape foodways, antique cars and historical figures from New Jersey’s past. There is a $10 parking fee. Details: www.njhistoryfair.org or call 732 462-9616.
• “Genealogy: It’s Not a Tree or a Chart, It’s a Story” will be the topic of the May 15 meeting of the Monmouth County Genealogy Society. Author and genealogist Maureen Wlodaczyk will explain how to breathe life into a family tree. The presentation will be at 1:30 p.m. at the Community Center, 72 Broad Street, Eatontown, and is free of charge. All are welcome to attend.
• The Veterans Community Alliance of New Jersey will sponsor “Fishing For Heroes” on the Royal Miss Belmar from 4:30-8:30 p.m. May 21. Attendees must be at the marina by 3:30 p.m. The cost is $105 per person and includes fishing rods, bait and food. There will be a Biggest Fish tournament and a 50/50 raffle. Details: 917-747-4312.
• The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County and Jewish Family and Children Services will co-sponsor a trip to the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia on May 24. The cost is $45 per person and includes round-trip bus transportation, docent-led small tours at the museum and a kosher boxed lunch. To make a reservation, call Marion Riback at 732-774-6886, ext. 43.
• Vendors are being sought for an Italian festival to be held from June 29 through July 2, 6-11 p.m., at Freehold Raceway, Freehold. The event is sponsored by the Italian American Association of Monmouth County. There will be rides, games, entertainment, crafters and food at the festibal. Details: Cheryl Scuorzo, 732-536-5832.
• The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance meets every Sunday from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Freehold Community Wellness Center, 17 Bannard St., Freehold. Details: 908-433-1993 or 732-367-7450.
• The Essential Tremor Support Group meets from 7-9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month (June 2) at the Jack Aaronson Conference Center in the Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus, 901 W. Main St., Freehold Township. Details: 732-462-8304, after 10 a.m.
Items for the Datebook may be sent via email to gmntnews@gmnews.com. Please submit items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.
