• A fun day and flea market sponsored by Canaan Christian Church, 88 Frank Applegate Road, Jackson, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 16 (rain date July 23). Free rides and games, face painting, Spanish food and flea market. All are welcome to attend. Spaces available, call 908-216-1558 and leave message or email lunj@optonline.net
• The Goddard School preschool, 178 West Veterans Highway, Jackson, will host a free community ice cream social from 5-7 p.m. July 14. Children of all ages are welcome to attend. There will be an interactive concert with Mr. Scott the Music Man and a Dunk-A-Teacher booth to help raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Details: http://www.goddardschool.com/Schools/Jackson-NJ/schools.gspx
• St. Aloysius Parish, Jackson, is offering a six-week Basic Drawing art class on Tuesday from 9-11 a.m., July 19 through Aug. 23. The instructor will be John Genuard, the artist who painted Saint Padre Pio and Saint Francis for the church. Individuals 18 years old and over who are interested in learning the basics of pencil drawing may contact the parish office for a registration form, a course outline and a list of required materials. The cost is $85 for six weeks.
• St. Aloysius Parish, Jackson, will host vacation Bible school, “Cave Quest – Following Jesus the Light of the World,” from 9 a.m. to noon July 18-22. Cost is $65 per child up to a maximum of three children per family, additional children at no extra cot. Registration form on church website. Details: Christine, 732-259-1247, or Megan, 848-299-2603.
• On July 20 from 2-7 p.m., the Jackson Library will host a Red Cross blood drive at 2 Jackson Drive, Jackson. Anyone who is at least 17 years old, weighs a minimum of 110 pounds and is in generally good health can donate blood. The entire process takes about an hour and all blood types are needed. Donors should bring a photo ID. Visit www.redcross.org to schedule an appointment to donate blood. Walk-ins are also welcome.
• Seniors who graduated from Freehold Regional High School, Freehold Borough, and Southern Freehold Regional High School, Howell, in June 1966 will get together from Aug. 26-28 for a combined 50-year reunion. The seniors who graduated in 1966 spent their freshman and sophomore years together in Freehold Borough, before Southern Freehold Regional opened in September 1964 and the class was divided. There will be a combined reunion from 6-11 p.m. Aug. 27 at the American Hotel, Freehold. To make a reservation, contact Donna Cusworth Hansen at donnachansen@hotmail.com for Southern Freehold Regional or Steve Herr at steve.herr@sbcglobal.net for Freehold Regional.
• Members of the public are invited to attend the following events at the Plumsted library, 119 Evergreen Road, New Egypt: Quilting, July 19 at 1 p.m. Join the Plumsted quilting club. Bring a project to work on. Beginners welcome; T’ai Chi Chih, July 21, 2 p.m. T’ai Chi is a gentle, mindful moving meditation that may be done seated or standing; Coloring for Adults, July 26, 1 p.m. Rediscover the joy of coloring. Coloring sheets and art supplies provided; and Life-size Board Games, July 27, 7 p.m. Teens in seventh through 12th grade may join library staff for life-sized board game night with Candy Land. Details: 609-758-7888.
• The Monmouth County Fair will be held at the East Freehold Showgrounds, Kozloski Road, Freehold Township, from July 27-31. Hours are 5-11 p.m. July 27-29; 3-11 p.m. July 30; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 31. There will be Kids’ Zone rides in the outdoor entertainment area, a trapeze act, Bwana Jim, racing pigs, home and garden competitions, vendor displays, food, entertainment and more. General admission is $8 per person. Children 12 and under are admitted free at all times. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Friends of the Plumsted Library will collect used books for a book sale. Donate fiction, nonfiction, large print, children’s books, CDs, DVDs, audio books, and puzzles. No soiled or mildewed items. No video tapes, Reader’s Digest condensed books, magazines or encyclopedias. Drop off books behind the Plumsted Library, 119 Evergreen Road, New Egypt, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month – Aug. 6, Sept. 3, and Oct. 1. Do not leave items if no one is present. Details: 609-758-0009 or 732-580-5600 or plumstedfriends@comcast.net
• The Jackson Premium Outlets, Route 537, Jackson, will present a summer concert series every Saturday from 1-4 p.m., weather permitting, outside the food court. The series will conclude on Sept. 3. All performances are free and open to the public. Live performances will range from summer tunes to bluegrass, classic rock and pop.
• The Jackson Township Municipal Utilities Authority will hold its public meetings at 5:30 p.m. in its administrative offices at 135 Manhattan St., Jackson, on the following dates in 2016: July 28, Aug. 25, Sept. 22, Oct. 27, Nov. 17, Dec. 15; and on the following dates in 2017: Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 (reorganization).
• The Jackson Township Democratic Club will meet at 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday (July 20) of every month, unless otherwise noted, at Bella Terra, 2 Kathleen Drive, Jackson. All are welcome to attend the meeting.
• The Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Support Group for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or dementia will meet at 10 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the Jackson Library, 2 Jackson Drive, Jackson. Details: 1-800-272-3900 or www.alz.org/nj
Items for the Datebook may be sent to gmntnews@gmnews.com. Please submit items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.
