Coming Soon: 2014 Summer Program Directory

Summer is in the air as the Monmouth County Park System plans to release this year's Summer Program Directory. Are you ready to start planning your summer with fun, exciting activities in the parks? This summer's Program Directory is filled to the brim with park information, special events, terrific programs and so much more. When you browse the summer issue, be sure to check out some of the following.

• Park System Spotlight: Do you love the beauty of the beach? Learn more about Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, Long Branch, in this two-page informational article.
• Summer Facility Profiles: Never been to one of our environmental centers? Discover what the Huber Woods and Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Centers have to offer.
• Special Events: When the weather is warm the parks have so much to offer! Here are just a few of the events you can learn more about in the Summer Program Directory:
• Monmouth County Fair  - This year's Fair is quickly approaching on Wednesday-Sunday, July 23-27, and is packed with entertainment, animal shows, amusement rides, tasty food, vendors, and so much more!
• Eco Elephant Family Flea Market - Looking to sell items you no longer use? Get a table and earn some money as our visitors shop 'til they drop on Saturday, June 21 and Saturday, August 23.
• Fishing Derbies - One fishing derby isn't enough! So we're doing three! The 2nd Annual Freshwater Fishing Derby takes place at the Manasquan Reservoir, Howell, on Saturday, June 14 and then at Turkey Swamp Park on Sunday, June 15. Plus, if you enjoy surf fishing, don't miss our first ever Bayshore Saltwater Fishing Derby at Bayshore Waterfront Park on Saturday, August 30.
• Deep Cut Gardens Open House - Learn more about this beautiful 54-acre site with free guided tours, lectures, activities, demonstrations and horticultural advice on Sunday, June 8.
• Second Annual Sweet Corn Festival - There's nothing better than locally grown, sweet New Jersey corn in the summertime! This festival held at Historic Walnford, Upper Freehold on Saturday, August 16, offers live music, children's crafts and activities, our 25' rock climbing wall and of course delicious sweet corn.
• Family Campfires: Bring the entire family and spend an evening under the stars. On page 6 you'll find a full listing of campfires held at Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold that offer fun for everyone. The selection includes Are We There Yeti?, Touch-A-Truck at the Campfire!, Create Your Own Concert and more.
• Adult Programs: Learn something new this summer, or refine your skills in a favorite hobby. From arts & crafts to horticulture to sports & fitness and more, the adults section of this year's Summer Program Directory offers something for everyone. Constant favorites are joined this summer by new programs that include Clay Handbuilding Techniques, Paella Outdoors, Gardening for Butterflies and Other Pollinators, Kayak Birding Expedition, Fat Loss Boot Camp and more!
• Equestrian Programs: If you love horses, these programs are for you! And don't miss this year's  Student Horse Show featuring our Special People United to Ride (SPUR) equestrians showcasing their talents on Saturday, June 7.
• Family Programs: Ready to spend some time together as a family? We want to make that time even more special by offering exciting programs like Mess Fest!, Boat and Breakfast, Micro-Safari, Summer Beach Luau Blast and more! 
• Golf Programs: Looking to learn a new sport? Golf is a fun, popular sport that is easy to learn with the help of the Monmouth County Park System. Beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons are offered for ages 6-adult as well as a variety of clinics and other programs. If you're already an avid golfer, don't miss out on the Park System's summer tournaments; information can be found here.
• Historic Programs: If you've never been to Historic Longstreet Farm in Holmdel or Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold, we've got some additional reasons to get you there this summer. Historic Longstreet Farm offers a view into the past with free drop-in programs such as Blacksmith Demonstrations, an Independence Day Celebration, and the Potato Harvest. This summer Historic Walnford is offering an array of free drop-ins which include Antique Autos, Roots of Rootbeer, and the returning Sweet Corn Festival to name a few.
• Kids & Teens Programs: Is your child looking for something new and exciting to experience? We've got plenty of options both you and your children will love! Kids can improve drawing skills with Drawing Intensive, use science and technology during Engineering for Kids, enjoy fitness and fun with Circus Skills Camp, and so much more! Still on the look out for a terrific summer camp for your child? A variety of camps are still available; click here to find and register for summer camps.
• Parent & Child Programs: Why not learn something new...together! You and your child can enjoy creation OR recreation. Create beautiful ceramic art during Ceramic Family Fun; decorate tea cups and enjoy the outdoors with Tea for Two; or play in the dark during Glo in the Dark Sports Campfire.
• Special Needs Programs: At the Park System we work hard to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities to participate in Park System programs with their non-disabled peers. Special Needs programs are also offered that bring together special needs children and young adults like Introduction to Golf, Recreational Swim, and Teen Scene. For additional information on programs for those with special needs or on our inclusion services, please email Lauren.
• Trips: Let's go somewhere new! We're ready to hit the road with a variety of day trips and overnight excursions. Just a few of these locations include Historic Philadelphia, Untermyer Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, and Washington DC. The Park System makes it easy to enjoy a journey to somewhere new.

The above are just some of the fun you can look forward to in this year's Summer Program Directory.  Available this Friday, May 2, you can get your issue by mail, by visiting one of the Park System parks, or view it online. If you're not already on our mailing list, you can join by filling out our Program Directory Request form. Summer program registration begins at 8am on Wednesday, May 7.

See you in the parks!

Park System Trip Gives Rare Glimpse at Terracotta Warriors

This summer has become even more exciting with the Park System's August 11th trip to Discovery Times Square in New York City! What makes this trip different than those previous? This summer the museum has introduced the only East Coast exhibition of China's Terracotta Warriors. It is your chance to get up close and personal with an archaeological find that has been considered the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World. The warriors are a national treasure for China and have been under excavation since their inadvertent discovery in 1974. If you are not familiar with the story, let's bring you up to speed:

It began as these things usually do, with simple folk going about the business of everyday life, eking out a living to support their families. Foremost in their minds was the need to find water to support their village, never did they imagine that the basic act of digging a well would reveal the archaeological find of the century.

The excavation started out as any other dig, but the magnitude and scope of the project quickly became apparent as scientists found that the site extended approximately 16,000 meters. Thus, in 1975, the State Council authorized the building of a museum at the site, which is divided into three pits, encompassing over 7,000 pottery warriors, horses and chariots!

The army was created during the reign of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who is famous for unifying China’s warring states, and for beginning construction of the Great Wall. The warriors were intended to guard his tomb and replicate his living army. It is estimated that it took over 700,000 people 37 years to complete all of the figures, which are life-sized and painstakingly, individually detailed, with no two exactly alike.

One of the dismaying aspects of the excavation was that the once bright paint that brought the warriors to life would flake off within hours of exposure to the air. It was not until recently that a team of German scientists created a substance to coat the warriors and preserve their unique colors. Apparently it was the lacquer layer underneath the paint that would dry up as the air hit it, taking the paint as well. It is now hoped that as the excavations continue, more the warriors will be preserved with their original colors.

The current exhibit at Discovery Times Square, in addition to several of the actual restored warriors, includes Han Dynasty Burial Chamber gates, cooking utensils, weapons, jewelry and ritual items in a collection of over 200 artifacts more than 2,000 years old. By this point we're sure we have aroused your curiosity about these amazing artifacts, and want to know all about when to go and how to get there. The Park System wants to make it easy for you to see this amazing exhibit! On Saturday, August 11, we will be leaving Thompson Park by bus and heading to New York City for the day. Fees include timed admission ticket, round trip transportation, and Park System leader. There will be free time for you to enjoy the city and have lunch on your own. Register now!

Staff Contributor: Ann Sage, Cultural Services Division

Note: The Park System has a wide variety of trips scheduled every year! Check out the Fall Directory (to be released on August 10) for trips that will include: Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum; The Best of the Bronx; Total Amish Experience; Grounds for Sculpture; Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour; Montreal, Quebec & Vermont Overnight and so much more!