money The Grateful Dead for kids, sheep shearing and more things to do at the Jersey Shore
In honor of Autism Awareness Month, and as part of the Ocean County Library's month-long Autism Resources Fair (which trickles into May), violinist Ariel Horowitz and friends will perform a virtual concert at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The program is hosted by Music for Autism, a company that provides interactive, free concerts developed specifically for individuals with autism and their families.
Horowitz is the founder of The Heartbeat Music Project, which provides tuition-free music, instruments and Diné (Navajo) cultural knowledge to children living in Navajo Nation.
Registration for this free event is available here. A link will be sent to participants two hours before the performance.
For more information, call the OCL Toms River branch at 732-349-6200 or visit theoceancountylibrary.org/autism/fair.
Here are other things to do this weekend:
The Grateful Dead for kids in Red Bank
Have you talked to your children about the Grateful Dead? After all, it's never too soon to introduce young music lovers to the world-changing jam band.
Rock N Roll Playhouse will present the music of the Dead in a kid-friendly presentation, complete with movement and games, at noon on Sunday for an Earth Day celebration at the Vogel at the Count Basie Center for the Arts campus, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank.
Tickets are $15, free for kids 1 and under. For tickets and more information, visit thebasie.org or call 732-842-9000.
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Jazzy tunes in Toms River
Danny Jonokuchi & The Revisionists will be performing the music of Count Basie and Duke Ellington on Sunday at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts in Toms River. Showtime is 3 p.m.
Along with Jonokuchi on trumpet and vocals, the band includes vocalist Alexa Barchini, trombonist Robert Edwards, bassist Brandi Disterheft, pianist Willerm Delisfort, drummer Kevin Congleton and alto-saxophonist/clarinetist Ricky Alexander.
Jonokuchi created the NYC-based dance band in 2020 in order to enter the first-ever Count Basie Great American Swing Contest, and went on to win with a performance of "One O'Clock Jump."
The group's debut album, "Let Me Off Uptown," features original numbers and songs made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, Billie Holiday and more.
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Tickets are $24, $20 for seniors (65 and older), and can be ordered here.
The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts is at 1 College Drive. For more information, call 732-255-0500 or visit grunincenter.org.
Concerts all weekend at B2 Bistro + Bar
B2 Bistro + Bar in Bayville has a jam-packed weekend of concerts planned, with a different local band playing each night.
The Counterfeiters kick it off at 5 p.m. Friday, with covers from the '80s, '90s and Y2K eras. The Jersey natives consider themselves "the best party band you'll ever see."
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Saturday's show also starts at 5 p.m., with The Polish Nannies, a high-energy party rock dance cover band that specializes in "shake your booty" music.
Shut Up Gus, another local cover band, will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday.
This B2 Bistro + Bar is at 125 Bayview Ave. For more information, call 732-269-3000 or visit b2bistro.com.
Art Topilow and Deb Lyons at Axelrod
This Sunday at the Axlerod Performing Arts Center, jazz pianist Dr. Art Topilow and vocalist Deb Lyons will present a program of popular music and standards, with selections from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer and Carole King.
Lyons has appeared on Broadway in "Smokey Joe's Cafe," and starred as Lucy in the first national tour of "Jekyll and Hyde." She has shared the stage with Rick Springfield, Ben E. King and Mary Wilson, and has backed up Carrie Underwood, Ben Vereen, Roseanne Cash and Donna Summer.
A professional pianist, Topilow is director of hematology and oncology at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
Tickets for the 3 p.m. performance, which cost $38 to $42, are available at axelrodartscenter.com, or by phone at 732-531-9106.
The Axelrod Performing Arts Center is at 100 Grant Ave., Deal Park.
Sheep shearing and wagon rides at Historic Longstreet Farm
So shearing sheep might not be a musical experience, but Mary's Little Lamb needs a hair cut.
From noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the Historic Longstreet Farm will host its Wool Days. The event includes displays of sheep shearing, as well as demonstrations from sheep-herding dogs.
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There will be wagon rides to the Monmouth County Historical Association's Holmes-Hendrickson House, where staff will demonstrate how wool was used in Colonial America for spinning and weaving.
Admission and parking are free. The Historic Longstreet Farm is at 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel. For more information, visit monmouthcountyparks.com or call 732-842-4000. For those with hearing impairment, the MCPS TTY/TDD number is 711.
Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to glaracca@gannett.com.
Sarah Griesemer, Alex Biese and Chris Jordan contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Things to do in NJ include Grateful Dead for kids show
