• Freehold Elks No. 1454 Motorcycle Committee will host a bike raffle drawing party and bike show from 1-6 p.m. Oct. 12 at 73 E. Main St., Freehold. A $20 donation includes food, drink and live music. Raffle tickets for a 2019 Harley Davidson Soft Tail Deluxe Motorcycle will be available, as well as tricky tray prizes. Bike show trophies will be awarded in six categories. All are welcome to attend.
• A craft fair will be held at the Freehold Township Senior Center, 116 Jackson Mills Road, Freehold Township, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 9. Vendor tables are available ($15 for a 6-foot table). A variety of craft and holiday items will be available for purchase. Details: 732-294-2029.
• The Allentown Public Library, 16 S. Main St., Allentown, will host a presentation by Muriel J. Smith, a co-author of the book “Hidden History of Monmouth County,” at 7 p.m. Oct. 22. Smith is a member of several historical societies and the Monmouth County Historical Commission. Space is limited and registration is required. Register in person at the library or call 609-259-7565.
• The 24th annual Monmouth County Archives and History Day will be held on Oct. 12 at Monmouth County Library Headquarters, 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan. At 1 p.m., actress and writer Michele LaRue will present her interpretation of contemporary writing from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in a piece entitled “Someone Must Wash the Dishes: An Anti-Suffrage Satire.” Details: Visit MonmouthCountyClerk.com/Archives or call 732-308-3771, ext. 3776.
• The fifth annual Artisan Craft and Music Festival at Oakley Farm will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 6 at the corner of Wemrock Road and Oakley Drive, Freehold Township. There will be woodworking, needlework, jewelry, birdhouses, pottery and more. The 300-year-old farmhouse and outbuildings will be open and there will be architectural salvage available for purchase. Free parking and admission. Music performances by Nolan Willance, Billy J. Brown, Synergy (Liberty Oak Chorus Quartet), Acoustic NRG and The Wired.
• A meeting of the Monmouth County Retired Educators Association will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 15 at the Radisson, Freehold Township. A Meet and Greet for local candidates running for office will take place at 10:30 a.m., before the general meeting. The guest speaker will be an elder law attorney. Members are asked to bring a non-perishable donation for the food bank. For luncheon reservations, contact Sue at 732 995-7754 or email sueshrott@gmail.com before Oct. 4. New members are always welcome.
• Hackensack Meridian Community Resource Center at Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold Township, will host a free Alzheimer’s disease lecture from 4-5 p.m. Sept. 24 (first floor, Macy’s wing; in the mall, outside of Macy’s). Attendees will learn about the disease and coping skills. Registration is required, call 1-800-560-9990.
• The Millstone Township Fire Company will host its annual Touch-A-Truck event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Millstone Township Middle School, 5 Dawson Court (this is a new location for 2019). There will be food, big toys and firetruck rides. All ages are welcome and admission is free.
• A Spiritual Evening with Gail Lionetti will be presented at Center Playhouse, 35 South St., Freehold, from 7-9:30 p.m. Sept. 27. Tickets are $50 plus $2 service charge, must be purchased in advance. To reserve a seat, call 732-462-9093.
• DeBows United Methodist Church, corner of Route 537 and Route 571, Jackson, will host an early fall flea market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 28. There will be a food concession. Table space for vendors is $10 and set-up begins at 7 a.m. Contact Sue, 732-928-0352 or jerseysue@outlook.com to reserve table space (tables not provided). There is no rain date. Details: www.debowsumc.org
• The Monmouth County Park System’s annual cornbread contest will be held from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold. Participants should bring the equivalent of a 9- x 13-inch pan of cornbread and a typed copy of their recipe between 12:30-1 p.m. Judging from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Ribbons awarded at 3 p.m. This is a free event. Details: 732-842-4000.
• A Golden Ear corny joke contest will be held from 12:30-3 p.m. Sept. 22 at Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold. Tell your best family friendly jokes during the contest. Anyone may enter by submitting up to three jokes by 2:30 p.m. The jokes will be read and audience laughter will decide the winner of the 2019 Golden Ear trophy. This is a free event. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Allentown Library will present a program about “The Battle of Brooklyn” at 7 p.m. Sept. 26. This was the largest battle of the American Revolution, taking place six weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The battle resulted in a defeat for the Continental Army. Barry Singer will present details of the battle and its pivotal effects on the future course of the war. Space is limited. Registration is required. Register in person or by calling 609-259-7565.
• WWE Superstars The New Day, a wrestling stable consisting of Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods, will visit the Event Center at iPlay America, Freehold Township, on Sept. 29. They will provide fans with a Pancake Lovers VIP Experience, meet and greet, and photo opportunity. Doors open at 8 a.m. VIP package and photo opportunity tickets are available for purchase at https://www.iplayamerica.com/event/the-new-day/
• See a 19th century gristmill in action at Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold, from 1-4 p.m. Sept. 21, 22, 28 and 29. Sponsored by the Monmouth County Park System. This is a free event. Demonstrations run through November. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The New Jersey State Museum, 205 W. State St., Trenton, is presenting “Many Inspired Steps” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Currently on view through Nov. 10, the exhibition uses a variety of objects and images to examine the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, the pioneers of space travel and other state connections to the landing and the space program. Admission is free; donations requested. Details: 609-292-5420 or visit statemuseumnj.gov
• “New Jersey Baseball: From the Cradle to the Major Leagues” is on exhibit at the Morven Museum and Garden, Princeton, until Oct. 27. The exhibition tells the story of New Jersey’s role in the history of early organized baseball through artifacts, text, images and other visuals. There are interactives that offer educational opportunities, as well as demonstrations with hands-on experiences. Details: morven.org
• Samaritan Center, a joint ministry of St. Thomas More and Old Tennent Presbyterian churches, operates a food pantry to provide supplementary food for those in need in Manalapan, Marlboro, Englishtown and Millstone Township. For information, call 732-446-1142 and make an appointment. Pickup dates are Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30-11:15 a.m. and Saturday from 9-11 a.m. Volunteers will gladly carry food to a client’s vehicle. Donations of funds and food are gratefully accepted to support the operation of the center. Volunteers are always welcome.
Items for the Datebook may be sent to news@njexaminer.com. Please submit items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.
