FREEHOLD, NJ – The never-ending winter has officially ended. The colors of spring are beginning to show as Monmouth County blossoms with vibrant seasonal flora. But that’s not the only thing blossoming in the County; our Calendar of Events is flourishing, too!

“As we enter our spring tourism season, I hope visitors and residents will take advantage of all the events Monmouth County has to offer,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County’s Department of Public Information and Tourism. “The winter is over now and it is time for everyone to get out of their houses and get involved in their communities.”

With the weather warming up, many events will begin to take place in the great outdoors.  Easter is April 5, but the egg hunts begin April 4 with the Allaire Village Easter Egg Hunt and Handmade Bonnet Contest. On Easter Sunday, Asbury Park will host an Easter Parade on the boardwalk at 1 p.m.

Other family-friendly, outdoor activities include the Early Spring Flea Market at Historic Allaire Village on April 11, the Monmouth County SPCA Dog Walk & Fair at Brookdale Community College on April 25 and the Belmar Art Walk on April 26.

Get physical this month at the Step Up for the Arc 5K run and walk on the Asbury Park Boardwalk on April 11, Jersey Shore’s Running Club’s RunAPalooza in Asbury Park on April 18 or the Novo Nordisk Marathon Weekend April 25 through 26 at Monmouth Park.

You won’t want to miss the 18th Annual Brookdale Guitar Show at the Student Life Center in Lincroft on April 12 or, on April 26, the 4th Annual Red Bank International Flavour Festival and Asbury Park Restaurant Tour.

The parks will be bustling with activity the last weekend in April with the Great Spring Perennial Plant Swap on April 25 at Deep Cut Gardens, the Spring Craft Show on April 25 at Tatum Park, the annual Sheep Shearing and Wool Days demonstration at Historic Longstreet Farm on April 25 and 26 and Monmouth County Park System Earth Day Celebrations on April 26, where you will find outdoor activities at several park locations.  

Musical and theater offerings are widespread throughout the County this month.  The musical “South Pacific” will be at Algonquin Theatre select dates from April 10 to 19. At Two River Times Theatre, see “Your Blue Ain’t Sweet Like Mine” from April 11 to May 5 and “A Little Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from April 23 through May 1.

Count Basie Theatre offers a full schedule this month with acts including comedian Jay Leno on April 10, “Cinderella: A Storytale Ballet” on April 11 and 12, Grammy-winning John Mellencamp on April 18, “The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon” on April 22 and comedian and star of the television show Glee, Jane Lynch on April 23.

As always, Monmouth County’s Calendar of Events will provide you with even more April entertainment. For a complete listing of events, go to www.visitmonmouth.com and click on the Tourism tab to find the Calendar of Events. Compiled by the Monmouth County Department of Public Information and Tourism, it is a comprehensive source for things to do and places to go and is updated regularly. You can also call 1-800-523-2587 to have a packet of information mailed to you, or stop by 1 East Main St., Freehold to browse the extensive literature between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

The next time you are on Facebook be sure to “like” the Monmouth County Tourism page. If you use Twitter, follow us on there, too.

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