A celebration of American music and heroes of New Jersey will take place at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan, on May 7.
The May 7 presentation at the library will coincide with the Weekend in Old Monmouth tour of historic sites in Monmouth County.
“The first weekends in spring are always a festive time,” said Renee Swartz, chair of the Monmouth County Library Commission. “The Monmouth County Historical Commission stages its magnificent Weekend in Old Monmouth featuring so many wonderful historic sites and museums in Monmouth County.
“Combining this historic event with music, a tribute to heroes of Monmouth County, and an opportunity to meet with local authors who have kept the actions of these earlier Americans alive gives families a wonderful advantage to enjoy, learn and simply have fun together,” Swartz said.
Booklets from the Historical Commission listing the historic sites on the Weekend in Old Monmouth tour and their hours and addresses will be available at Manalapan as well as at other branches of the county library system, according to a press release.
At Manalapan, the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons will come alive at 2 p.m. when the Jersey Four bring the Four Seasons’ songs, dress and choreography to the stage. The performance will feature an original member of the Four Seasons, according to the press release.
Beginning at 1 p.m., authors and historians Joe Bilby, Randy Gabrielan, Rick Geffken and Joe Grabas will be available at the library for conversations about how their books came to be, as well as book signings.
Bilby, who is a volunteer at the New Jersey National Guard Museum, Sea Girt, has written several books about the role of New Jersey and Garden State residents in World War I.
Gabrielan is a prolific author about New Jersey and New York and serves as Monmouth County’s historian.
Geffken’s first book, “Lost Amusement Parks of the North Jersey Shore,” is a new release and features stories and photos about many early amusement parks, with Sandlass Beach at Sandy Hook featured.
Grabas, a member of the Monmouth County Historical Commission with Gabrielan, is the author of “Owning New Jersey” and is a nationally recognized title professional and frequent lecturer about land title, real estate and slavery history in New Jersey, according to the press release.
No reservations are necessary for the May 7 music and history program at the library headquarters and the program is offered at no cost. For more information, visit www.monmouthcountylib.org
