• A local bartender will be the featured speaker at the Oct. 11 meeting of the Allentown Garden Club. The bartender will teach attendees how to use the bounty of a home garden to quench their thirst and wow guests. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Allentown Methodist Church, Church Street. All are welcome to attend. Details: AllentownGardenClub.net.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a nature walk at Clayton Park, Upper Freehold Township, at 9 a.m. Oct. 27. Meet in the Emley’s Hill Road parking lot.
Join a roving naturalist for a walk and discuss seasonal points of interest, search for signs of wildlife, and identify a bird or two. This is a 90-minute to two-hour program, but feel free to join in or drop out at any point. Dress for the weather as light rain is not a deterrent. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will sponsor Climb Time from 1-5 p.m. Oct. 20 at the
Clayton Park Activity Center, Upper Freehold Township. Try the park system’s 25-foot-tall portable climbing wall. Climbers must be at least 42 inches and age 8 or older; under 18 with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• An Awesome Autumn Amble sponsored by the Monmouth County Park System will be held on Oct. 17 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Perrineville Lake Park, Millstone Township. Explore the trails with a park system naturalist and discuss all manners of plant and animal phenomenon. Open to all ages; under 18 with adult. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a mill demonstration on Oct. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28 from 1-4 p.m. at Historic Walnford, Walnford Road, Upper Freehold Township. See the 19th century gristmill in action. Demonstrations run through November. Free.
• The 24th annual Fall Forestry Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Forest Resource Education Center, 370 East Veterans Highway, Jackson. The free event will be held rain or shine. Activities include nature walks, maple sugaring, crafts, forestry displays and demos and more. All are welcome to attend. Details: 732-928-2360 or www.forestrycenter.nj.gov
• Vendors are wanted for a holiday boutique to be held at Old Tennent Presbyterian Church, Manalapan, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 10. Vendors should call by Oct. 26 to reserve a spot. Details: 732-446-6299.
• Old Tennent Presbyterian Church, 450 Tennent Road, Manalapan, will host a Fall Fun Festival and Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 13. There will be games, a flea market, book sales, mums and food. All are welcome to attend. Sponsored by the Christian Education Committee. Proceeds benefit the Youth Fund and Triennium Fees. Details: 732-446-6299.
• DeBows United Methodist Church, corner of Route 571 and Route 537, Jackson, will host its annual flea market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 6. There will be a food concession with breakfast and lunch items. Interested vendors may call Sue at 732-928-0352 to reserve table space ($10 each; table not provided, setup starts at 7 a.m.). Details: debowsumc.org
• A “What’s it Worth” event will be held at the Allentown Public Library from 1-4 p.m. Oct.
28. Joe Bodnar of Bodnar Auction House, Edison, will assess the value of dolls, furniture, costumes, fine jewelry, toys, art works and more. Tickets are $20 per item to be appraised and are on sale at the library. All proceeds benefit the library. Only 100 tickets (items to be appraised) will be sold.
• The sixth annual Howell/Farmingdale 5K run and race walk benefiting CONTACT of Ocean and Monmouth Counties 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline will be held on Oct. 21 at Howell High School, Squankum-Yellowbrook Road, Howell. The course is now certified. The 5K will begin at 9:30 a.m. All ages welcome. Awards to top male and female overall, plus age group awards for 5K run. Special pricing for ages 19 and under. All registration fees discounted when registered by Oct. 17. Details: 732-240-6104 for registration and/or info on becoming a sponsor. Visit www.contactoceanmonmouth.org for race application form or register online at https://register.compuscore.com/contact5k
• The Freehold Township Senior Center, 116 Jackson Mills Road, Freehold Township, will host a craft show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 10. Tables are available for $15. There will be a variety of craft and holiday items. Details: 732-294-2029.
• Marty’s Place Senior Dog Sanctuary will host its annual Howl-O-Ween Family Fest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 21 (rain date, Oct. 28) at 118 Route 526, Upper Freehold. This fun-filled event is open to the public and anyone can come with children of all ages and dogs of all sizes. There will be a Ruff Mudder Canine Obstacle Course. Dogs of all skill levels are welcome to participate with their owners. There will also be a costume contest for dogs, plus other activities. Details: 609-259-1278 or www.martysplace.org
• Center Players Dessert Theater has partnered with theater instructor Darrell Willis Sr. to offer teen acting classes this fall at Center Playhouse, 35 South St., Freehold. “Acting 101” is open to young adults ages 12-17 and will include scene study, improvisation and basic acting techniques. Classes will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on 10 Saturdays from Oct. 13 through Dec. 15. The fee is $200 per student. Students may download a registration form at www.centerplayers.org. Details: Text 908-216-5168.
• The Deep Cut Orchid Society will hold its annual orchid auction on Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with plant preview available from 9:30-10 a.m., at Monmouth Park racetrack, 175 Oceanport Avenue, Oceanport. Orchids from growers in Ecuador, Brazil, Taiwan and the United States will be available for bidding. Admission and parking is free. A hot and cold buffet will be available for $16 per person. Visit deepcutorchidsociety.org for additional information and to RSVP.
• Saint Gabriel’s Church, Marlboro, will host a juried craft and vendor fair on Nov. 11 from
10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Prospective vendors should send name, business name, email, mailing address, phone number and a description of their work with four to six high-quality photos demonstrating sample crafts and wares and table set-ups to Julia A. Oliver at
jo1216@optonline.net. The table fee is $45. Vendors should not mail payment until they are notified they have been selected to participate.
• The Allentown Public Library has announced that the Allentown afghans, which were created and sold by the Women’s Association of Allentown, are now available for the first time since 2008. The afghans were designed by Joanne Tourine and show nine historic structures, including the Imlay Mansion, Gov. Newell’s home, the Presbyterian Church, Abel Cafferty’s Mill house and the iconic mill and the Allentown Baptist Church that is now home to the library. The afghans are available in hunter green, cranberry and colonial blue. They are available for purchase at the library, 16 S. Main Street. All proceeds benefit the Allentown Public Library Association in support of the library building.
• New Jersey Blood Services is in need of volunteers to work blood drives in Ocean and Monmouth counties. Tasks include assisting donors with registration, watching donors for post-donation reactions and responding to their needs. Details: Jan Zepka, 732-616-8741.
Items for the Datebook may be sent to news@njexaminer.com. Please submit items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.
