- Embroiderers’ Guild of America-Monmouth Chapter welcomes stitchers of all levels. There are sit and stitch tables at each meeting, as well as special projects. Evening stitchers will meet Nov. 7 from 7-9 p.m. at the Colts Neck Library, 1 Winthrop Drive, Colts Neck. Day stitchers will meet Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Colts Neck Community Church, 25 Merchants Way, Colts Neck. Details: Toni, 732-462-5540 or www.mcega.org
• New Jersey native Michael “Wonder Mike” Wright, an original member of the Sugar Hill Gang, will be featured on the Oct. 22 episode of “This is Jersey with Gary Gellman,” on Verizon FiOS 1 News channel 501 at 3:30 p.m. The episode will also air Oct. 23 at the same time. Wright co-wrote the hit song “Rapper’s Delight” and will discuss his music career with Gellman.
• An art show and sale sponsored by the Colts Neck Friends of the Library will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 22-23 at the Colts Neck Library, 1 Winthrop Drive. All are welcome to attend.
• The Mourning After presents “Moving Through Grief-Healing From the Loss of a Loved One” from 7-9 p.m. Nov. 9 at St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold Township. The free, nonsectarian program is open to adults of all ages and is hosted by Kathy Lo Bue, managing director, Glen Eagle Advisors, LLC. Refreshments provided. RSVP requested by calling 732-866-6660.
• The Oasis Players cabaret troupe will return to the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, Freehold Township, at 2 p.m. Oct. 23 to present songs from Jewish composers which have been nominated for or received an Academy Award. Admission is $18 for museum members andat $20 for non-members. To make a reservation (non-refundable), call 732-252-6990.
• On Oct. 30, the Home Owners of Covered Bridge will host a health fair in the ballroom at Covered Bridge, 1 Amberly Drive, Manalapan. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. More than two dozen doctors and health providers will have displays, demonstrations and/or basic testing for visitors. Details: 732-536-0071.
• A clothing drive, car wash and vendor fair will be held on Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Barkalow Middle School, 498 Stillwells Corner Road, Freehold Township. Details: Email ctb.pto@gmail.com
• Manalapan Arts Council will sponsor its third annual Halloween masquerade party for adults from 7:30-11:30 p.m. Oct. 29. at the Knob Hill Golf Club, Route 33, Manalapan. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes. Tickets: $39 per person, include a buffet dinner. Cash bar available. To make a reservation, contact Irene at 732-446-8308.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Quest for Fire from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 23 at the Oak Point picnic shelter at Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold Township. This program looks at fire making from an anthropological perspective. Instructor Randall S. Chalnick will demonstrate fire making methods such as bamboo friction fire and bow and drill, and discuss how they have changed over time. An additional session is planned for Oct. 30. The cost of each session is $10 per person. Pre-registration is required; visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com or call 732-842-4000.
• Temple Rodeph Torah, Marlboro, will host “An Afternoon with Some of Israel’s Finest Classical Musicians” at 3 p.m. Oct. 30. Violinists Yuval Herz, Barak Shossberger and Daniel Zinn and pianist Benjamin Goodman will perform pieces by Ravel, Liszt and Bach. The event is sponsored by Temple Rodeph Torah, the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey and the American-Israel Cultural Foundation. Admission is free, but advance reservations are required. Details: 732-308-0055.
• The Freehold Food Fest to benefit Camp Quality New Jersey, a nonprofit organization providing free sleep-away camping experiences for children with cancer, will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 5 in the parking lot of iPlay America, 110 Schanck Road, Freehold Township. Family fun, food trucks, music, special guests, a beer garden and more. Details: www.freeholdfoodfest.com
• The Italian American Association of Monmouth County will host a gift auction from 6-10 p.m. Oct. 22 at the F&AM Olive Branch Lodge, 2 Dutch Lane Road, Freehold. Prizes and 50-50 raffle. Admission: $10, includes a door prize ticket. Food available for purchase. Details: Cheryl Scuorzo, 732-536-5832.
• The Knights of Columbus will hold their monthly breakfast buffet on Oct. 23 from 8 a.m. to noon at their Council Hall, 70 E. Main St., Freehold. All are welcome to attend. The all you can eat breakfast is $7 per adult and $4 per child under 12. A family of four is $20. Special of the Month is pumpkin pancakes with spiced drizzle. Details: 732-308-3320.
• Brookdale Community College’s 2016-17 Visiting Artist Series returns on Nov. 3 with a free presentation by noted metalsmith and jewelry artist Frederick Marshall at noon in the college’s Center for Visual Arts (CVA) Gallery, Lincroft. Marshall will show his work and discuss the artistic process. The presentation is free and open to all. Attendees may bring lunch. Park in lots 1 and 2. Details: 732-224-2520.
• PJ Library is offering a free music class at 10 a.m. Nov. 6 at Solomon Schechter Day School, Marlboro. Enjoy music and story time with children’s musician, and Solomon Schechter music teacher Mr. Sam. The class is for toddlers through age 8. The program is free and open to the public. RSVP required to Linda@schechtergmc.com
• From now through Nov. 27, Girl Scouts in Monmouth and Ocean counties will sell nuts, candy, magazines and photo keepsake books. Customers may go online to buy any product sold nationwide during the fall product sale even if it is not available on the local order sheet. Customers should ask a Girl Scout for a link to her personal online store. Details: www.jerseyshoregirlscouts.com
• St. Peter’s Church, corner of Throckmorton and Main streets, Freehold, will host its annual holiday bazaar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 19 and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 20. All are welcome to attend. There will be a silent auction (area attractions, restaurants, etc.), baked goods, handcrafted gifts and jewelry, and Historic Freehold afghans. Details: www.stpetersfreehold.org
• Center Players, Freehold, will hold open auditions on Oct. 25-26 for its “Signature Series” presentation of “I Do Love the Holidays … (sometimes),” written by Leslie Hochman and Dave McGrath, and directed by Hochman. The musical revue will be presented weekends from Dec. 9-18. Auditions: Oct. 25, 7-10 p.m., children (characters’ age range, 7-15; must sing); Oct. 26, 7-10 p.m., adults. There will be cold readings from the script. Details: centerplayers.org
• The Reformed Church of Freehold, 67 W. Main St., Freehold, will host a roast beef dinner open to the community on Nov. 5. A full course dinner will be served family style. Tickets are $18 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-12. Take-out dinners will be available. Tickets available at the door or through the church office. Details: 732-462-1717.
• Professor Maurice Mahler will present a lecture about the life and work of American writer, poet, feminist and playwright Gertrude Stein at the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, Freehold Township, at 1 p.m. Nov. 9. Admission is $8 for museum members and $10 for non-members. To make a paid reservation (non-refundable), call 732-252-6990.
• Monmouth County Audubon Society will tour a banding station on Sandy Hook in northern Monmouth County to learn about the process. The group will meet at 8 a.m. Nov. 12 on Sandy Hook near M lot, the most northerly parking lot. Sandy Hook attracts migrating raptors, shorebirds and songbirds due to the abundance of food and areas of suitable habitat. Details: http://www.monmouthaudubon.org
• Naturalist George Nixon will present “Yellowstone: Land Between Fire and Water” at the Monmouth County Audubon Society meeting on Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. The program will be held at the Knights of Columbus hall, 200 Fair Haven Road, Fair Haven. The public is welcome; admission is free. Details: http://www.monmouthaudubon.org
• The Marlboro Jewish Center will sponsor an Israel Adventure for Women from June 25 through July 6, 2017. The tour will visit traditional and off-the-beaten-path sites, and include Shabbat in Jerusalem and a stop in Tel Aviv. The itinerary includes talks with Israeli women who will bring their experiences and passions to life. Details: bethbankscohn@gmail.com
• St. Mary’s Church, Colts Neck, will continue its “Light Up a Memory” tradition in 2016. For a contribution of $10 per light, individuals may sponsor a light in memory of someone deceased or in honor of a living person. There will be a tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 10 after the 4 p.m. Mass. All are welcome to participate. The deadline to reserve a light is Nov. 27. Details: 732-780-2666.
• The Battleground Historical Society will present its annual Soup Day from 1-3 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Village Inn, Water Street, Englishtown. Donation of $15; reservations required. Call Kathy at 732-679-4560 by Oct 19 as seating is limited.
• The Center for Jewish Life, Marlboro, will host Simchas Torah Live at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 24. Dance with the Torah, flags for children, a holiday meal, and more. Cost: Adults, $55; Children (2-12), $30; complimentary for partner families with reservations. Reserve a seat by Oct. 14. Details: 732-316-7600.
• The Ladies of St. Joseph, Millstone Township, will sponsor a bus trip to Lancaster, Pa., for Sight & Sound Theatres’ presentation of “Samson” on Dec. 6. Bus departs from St. Joseph Church at 9 a.m. and returns at approximately 8:30 p.m. There will be a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch smorgasbord lunch at Shady Maple and shopping time after lunch. Cost is $125 per person. Details: Rosalie, 732-490-5302.
• A new cancer support group will meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Monmouth Worship Center, 37 Vanderburg Road, Marlboro. A prayer group will meet at 8:30 p.m. Details: 732-332-9600.
• The Manalapan Board of Health will sponsor a free rabies immunization clinic for dogs and cats on Nov. 5 from 9-11:30 a.m. in the Manalapan Recreation Center, Route 522, at the new expansion building by Field K and the spray park. The best entrance to this area of the rec center is the western entrance. Dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a carrier. Details: 732-446-8345.
• The Freehold Township Education Foundation will host its fifth annual Monte Carlo Night fundraiser from 6-11 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Eagle Oaks Country Club, Howell. There will be casino games, a gift basket auction and a silent auction. Tickets are $84 to $100. Proceeds from the fundraiser will support the Freehold Township K-8 School District. Visit www.ftefnj.org to register.
• New Jersey Blood Services, which supplies blood products and services to 60 hospitals throughout the state, is in need of volunteers at blood drives. Volunteers assist donors with registration, escorting and canteen duties, and watch for post-donation reactions. Details: R. Jan Zepka, 732-616-8741.
• The Essential Tremor Support Group meets from 7-9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month (Nov. 3; no meeting in October) at the Jack Aaronson Conference Center at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Details: 732-462-8304, after 10 a.m.
• The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance will meet in the spiritual center of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, 1 Phalanx Road, Colts Neck, from 7:30-9 p.m. every Thursday. Details: 732-536-5826 or 732-320-0029.
Items for the Datebook may be sent via email to gmntnews@gmnews.com. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.
