See What's Planned At The Monmouth County Parks In August

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — Summer might be flying by, but there are still plenty of events and offerings planned throughout the Monmouth County Park System.

Here's what's happening:

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Wood Carving Demonstration

• Saturday, August 1 (1-3 p.m.)
• Holmes-Hendrickson House (Holmdel Park, Holmdel)
• See how the wood carver whittles a block of wood into a beautiful work of art. FREE!

Disc Golfing at Big Brook

• Saturdays, August 1, 8 & 15 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
• Big Brook Park, Marlboro (Sign in at the pool house)
• Bring your friends or family and challenge each other to a round of disc golf. The baskets are set up in varying lengths from 150 to 250 feet. Use our discs or bring your own. Open to ages 5 and up; under 18 with an adult. FREE!

Saturday Swim Time at Big Brook

• Saturdays, August 1, 8 & 15 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
• Big Brook Park, Marlboro
• Enjoy the pool at Big Brook. The cost per day is $35 per family (up to 4 people); $10 per person; cash or credit card. Weather and conditions permitting.

Thompson Park Canoe Rentals

• Saturdays & Sundays, August 1 & 2, 15 & 16, and 29 & 30 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
• Thompson Park, Lincroft
• Canoes will be available for rent on Marlu Lake. All equipment provided; limited number of canoes available. Open to all ages; under 18 with an adult. All rentals must be returned by 3 p.m. The cost is $15 per boat for 1-3 people for two hours; cash or check only.

Milling Demonstration

• Saturdays & Sundays, August 1 & 2, 8 & 9, 15 & 16, 22 & 23 and 29 & 30 (at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.)
• Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold
• See the 19th-century gristmill grind corn into meal. Each demonstration lasts approximately 15 minutes. FREE!

Boat Tours of the Manasquan Reservoir

• Saturdays & Sundays, August 1 & 2, 8 & 9, 15 & 16, 22 & 23 and 29 & 30 (at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. & 5 p.m.)
• Wednesdays, August 5, 12, 19 & 26 (at 2 p.m., 3 p.m. & 4 p.m.)
• Friday, August 7 (at 6 p.m. & 7 p.m.)
• Manasquan Reservoir, Howell (All tours leave from the Visitor Center)
• These 45-minute tours are narrated by Park System Naturalists and include opportunities to view local wildlife. The cost is $6 per adult and $4 per child, age 12 and under. Children must be two years of age or older to attend and able to sit independently during the duration of the tour. Please call 732-919-0996, ext. 4526, to confirm schedule as tours are both weather and water level dependent. Life jackets required. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the tour only.

Music on the Porch

• Sunday, August 2 (1-3 p.m.)
• Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold
• Hear the toe-tapping tunes of an acoustic duo. FREE!

Seining Along Sandy Hook Bay

• Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, August 3-21 (11 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
• Bayshore Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth (Meet on the beach near the parking lot)
• Discover a variety of fish, crabs and other sea creatures as we pull a long seine net along the edge of Sandy Hook Bay. Closed-toe shoes are required. Parents or guardians are required to stay with and supervise their children. No swimming during the event. This program is designed for individuals and families. Weather permitting. FREE!

Tidal Tuesdays - Seining the Cove

• Tuesdays, August 4, 11, 18 & 25 (11 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
• Fisherman's Cove Conservation Area, Manasquan
• Seine for a variety of fish, crabs and other sea creatures along the cove during this Park System Naturalist-led program. Closed-toe shoes are required. Parents or guardians are required to stay with and supervise their children. No swimming during the event. Weather permitting. FREE!

Open Mic Poetry - Echoes and/or Micro-Poetry

• Wednesday, August 5 (7-8:30 p.m.)
• Thompson Park Theater Barn, Lincroft
• Explore or recite literary works during a time of alliteration, rhythm and verse. All are welcome to read your work aloud or read work from your favorite poet(s). Must be appropriate for a family-oriented audience. Pre-registration recommended for readers and available online here. FREE!

Life in a Freshwater Pond

• Thursdays, August 6, 13 & 20 (11 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
• Freneau Woods Park, Aberdeen (Meet outside the Visitor Center)
• Explore a freshwater pond with Park System Naturalists. We'll look for basking turtles, hopping frogs, hunting herons, splashing fish, and anything else that catches our eye. We will also discover the unique life that lies underneath the water in a freshwater pond. Wear closed-toe shoes. Open to all ages; under 18 with an adult. Weather permitting. FREE!

Open Shoot Archery

• Saturday, August 8 (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Thompson Park Activity Barn, Lincroft
• All equipment is provided for this open shoot. No outside equipment permitted. This is not an instructional clinic and NOT designed for beginners. If you are new to archery, register for one of our instructional classes prior to attending. Open to ages 10 and up; under 18 with an adult. The cost is $10 per person; cash or check only.

Victorian Laundry Demonstration

Sunday, August 9 (1-2:30 p.m.)

Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel

From lighting the wood stove to ironing the aprons, we cover loads of material during this demonstration, so make sure to hang around for a bit. FREE!

Smocking Demonstration

• Saturday, August 15 (1-3 p.m.)
• Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel
• View the lost art of smocking, a decorative embroidery made by gathering cloth in regularly spaced round tucks. FREE!

Casual Birder

• Tuesday, August 18 (9 a.m.)
• Bayshore Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth
• Join a Park System Naturalist for this laid-back morning bird walk and meander through the park for about an hour and a half to see what birds we can find. No need to be an expert at identifying birds to enjoy. A limited number of binoculars will be available to borrow if needed. FREE!

Nature Lecture - Life History of Blue Crab Claws

• Thursday, August 20 (7-8 p.m.)
• Bayshore Waterfront Park Activity Center, Port Monmouth
• Discover what makes this signature crustacean unique, and why its preservation matters during this talk by a Park System Naturalist. FREE!

Concert in the Park: JO & the Highland Express Concert

• Friday, August 21 (7-8:30 p.m.)
• Thompson Park Theater Barn, Lincroft (Concert is outdoors but will move inside if weather is inclement)
• Recreating the musical masterpieces of funk and soul greats, this band covers songs from iconic artists such as Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Kool & the Gang, and many others. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, food, and soft drinks. FREE!

19th Century Woodworking Demonstration

• Saturday, August 22 (12-3 p.m.)
• Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel
• See how a woodworker studies his materials, plies his tools, and crafts beautiful and functional items. FREE!

Climb Time

• Sunday, August 23 (12-3 p.m.)
• Shark River Park, Wall
• Try the Park System's 25' portable climbing wall. You must be 42" or taller to climb. Open to ages 8 and up; under 18 with an adult. FREE!

The Little Sit

• Saturday, August 29 (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
• Deep Cut Gardens, Middletown
• Join an educator who will help spot and identify birds during this scaled-down version of "the big sit" birding event. Visitors will be introduced to citizen science apps to track their sightings. FREE!

The Park System also has a number of sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places that open for free tours during the warmer months, including:

Historic Battery Lewis

• Saturdays & Sundays (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
• May 23 to October 11
• Hartshorne Woods Park (Use Rocky Point entrance in Highlands.)

Historic Holmes-Hendrickson House

• Saturdays & Sundays (12-3 p.m.)
• April 25 to October 18
• Holmdel Park, Holmdel

Historic Portland Place

• Wednesday-Sunday (10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m.)
• May 2 to November 15
• Hartshorne Woods Park, Locust section of Middletown

Historic Racing Stable

• Friday-Sunday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
• May 2 to October 18
• Thompson Park, Lincroft

These historic sites may close due to inclement weather and on county holidays.

To learn more about these Park System activities or sites, you can visit www.MonmouthCountyParks.com or call the Park System at 732-842-4000.

For those with hearing impairment, the Park System TTY/TDD number is 711.