Monmouth County Fair opens and more things to do this weekend at the Shore

The 49th annual Monmouth County Fair opens Wednesday and runs through Sunday at East Freehold Showgrounds on Kozloski Road in Freehold.

There will be plenty of food, rides, games, live entertainment, 4-H shows and exhibits. Highlights include Wallenda Productions Aerial Thrill Show; WonderZone Dinosaur Zoo; Butterfly Encounter; Bwana Jim’s Wildlife Show; Hilby the Skinny German Juggle Boy; Mutts Gone Nuts; Robinson’s Racing Pigs; and Tommie Turvey's Stunt Horses & Dogs.

Fair hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10, free for kids 12 and under. Veterans and active military with ID also enter for free. On Sunday, seniors 65 and older and students with ID are free. New for this year is half price admission during the first two hours of each day.

More: When is the 2024 Monmouth County Fair? Here's everything you need to know

Main stage entertainment includes performances by The Counterfeiters from 8:15 to 9 p.m. and 9:30 to 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday; Brian Kirk & the Jirks from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Thursday; Super Trans Am from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Friday; CC & The Boys from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday; Magnolia Street String Band from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, and Rockit Academy from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The pie-eating contest takes place at 12:30 p.m. Sunday for kids 12 and younger, and 12:45 p.m. Sunday for those 13 and older. Pies are donated by Wemrock Orchards. On-site registration begins at 11 a.m. at the Main Stage.

Rides require wristbands. Weather permitting, there will be fireworks Wednesday night to celebrate the opening.

Go : Monmouth County Fair, Wednesday to Sunday, East Freehold Showgrounds, Kozloski Road, Freehold; 732-842-4000, MonmouthCountyFair.com .

Here are more things to do at the Shore and beyond, including Motown reimagined on LBI, a celebrity convention in Atlantic City, and a jazz series at William Paterson University.

Italian Festival and Wine Tasting at Monmouth Park Racetrack

Spend the weekend being wined and dined at the racetrack, which is hosting its Italian Festival Saturday and Sunday.

Festivalgoers can expect dishes like rice balls, pizza, surf and turf lobster rolls, fried raviolis, meatballs and more from food trucks including Bella Ciao Pizza, L’Acquario Seafood Italiano, The Pasta Truck, Taste of Napoli, Little Sicilian Riceballs, and Tony’s Italian Sausage.

There will be live music, too, plus family activities and horse-racing.

Go: Italian Festival and Wine Tasting, 11a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Monmouth Park Racetrack, 175 Oceanport Ave., Oceanport; racetrack admission costs $6; food prices vary by vendor; seatgeek.com/monmouth-park-tickets.

Motown on LBI

Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences presents The Sounds of Motown Reimagined: Sherry Wilson Butler and the Aaron Graves Quartet at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

A jazz, R&B and gospel vocalist, Butler will take you on a journey with Philadelphia jazz musicians led by bandleader Arron Graves, a release said. You’ll know the tunes, but with a fresh twist and improvisational solos.

Deeply rooted in the “Philly Sound,” Butler has performed with a long list of musical greats. Influences include Betty Carter, Diane Reeves, Phyllis Hyman, Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughn.

Graves attended Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia. In a news release, Graves said music is “the universal language we desire to communicate as part of the human family."

Tickets are $30 advance, $35 day of show.

Go : The Sounds of Motown Reimagined: Sherry Wilson Butler and the Aaron Graves Quartet, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, LBIF, 120 Long Beach Blvd., Loveladies, $30, $35; 609-494-1241, lbifoundation.org/performingarts .

'Frozen Jr.' in Beach Haven

Surflight's Children's Theatre presents "Disney's Frozen Jr." Wednesday through Sunday, and again Aug. 7 to 11.

Discover the power of sisterhood with Princess Anna and Princess Elsa as adult actors perform this show for kids 2 to 10. Based on the Disney film, the book is by Jennifer Lee; music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. "Frozen Jr." is directed and choreographed by Elizabeth Troxler.

Showtimes are 6 p.m. and tickets are $13.

Go : "Disney's Frozen Jr.," 6 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday, and Aug. 7 to 11, Surflight Theatre, 201 Engleside Ave., Beach Haven, $13; 609-492-9477, surflight.org .

'West Side Story' at the Basie

Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet" is transported to modern-day New York City as two young lovers find themselves caught between street gangs — the Jets and the Sharks.

Phoenix Productions' "West Side Story" takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank.

Tickets are $20 to $65.

Go : "West Side Story," Friday to Sunday, Count Basie Center for the Arts, 99 Monmouth St., Red Bank, $20 to $65; 732-842-9000, thebasie.org .

Art Fair for the Sea

The fourth annual Art Fair for the Sea takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Volunteer Park on South Riverside Drive in the Shark River Hills section of Neptune Township.

There will be arts and crafts, food, music and children's activities. Admission is free.

All sales at the Art For Sea booth go toward the Neptune-based group's mission: to provide grants to local area conservation organizations, and to help recruit and train future marine biologists.

Go : Art Fair for the Sea, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Volunteer Park, South Riverside Drive, Shark River Hills section of Neptune Township, free; @artforsea21 on Instagram.

Atlantic City Celebrity Convention

The first Atlantic City Celebrity Convention takes place Thursday to Sunday at ACX1 Studios.

There will be Q&A sessions, autograph signings, special screenings and memorabilia vendors. Enthusiasts will also benefit from expert panels where they can gain industry insights directly from the celebrities and creators they admire, or break bread with their favorite TV stars in an intimate dining setting.

Among the celebrities scheduled to attend are Danny Bonaduce (“The Partridge Family”); Taryn Manning ("Hustle and Flow"); Greg Nicotero, special effects master, director and producer, known for "The Walking Dead"; UFC Hall of Famer and former Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin; and pro wrestling legend Bret “The Hitman” Hart.

"Tim and I want this inaugural convention to be a stellar blueprint for many more genre conventions we'll create in the future with our great partners at ACX1 Studios," said Brandon E. Brooks, co-founder of Brantim Entertainment. "We're offering fans the chance to get up close and personal with their favorite actors from both blockbusters and cult classics, ensuring a diverse and exhilarating experience for all.”

Everything from one-day passes ($35 to $50) to ultimate VIP experiences ($400) are available. To purchase tickets, as well as see the list of celebrities, parking information and more, visit brantim.realms.tv.

Go : Atlantic City Celebrity Convention, Thursday to Sunday, ACX1 Studios, 1 Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic City; brantim.realms.tv .

All that jazz at William Paterson University

William Paterson University welcomes award-winning artists to its campus this week for the 2024 Summer Jazz Room Series. Tickets are $18 and performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Shea Center for Performing Arts.

On Wednesday, trumpeter Brian Lynch and his high-powered Latin Jazz ensemble Spheres of Influence take the stage. A veteran of stints with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the Horace Silver Quintet, and Phil Woods, Lynch also collaborated with Prince. In 2007, the Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for "Simpático."

On Thursday, saxophonist Tia Fuller performs. A force in jazz, pop and R&B, Fuller had completed a master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance when she was selected to tour with Beyoncé. She also has played with Esperanza Spalding, Dianne Reeves, Aretha Franklin and Nancy Wilson. Fuller has recorded five full-length projects with her quartet, including the Grammy-nominated album “Diamond Cut.”

The series ends Friday with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, who has been in the limelight since he joined the Wynton Marsalis Septet and subsequently the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Gordon now tours the world as a soloist and with his own group. His arrangement of the theme music for NPR’s “All Things Considered” is heard daily around the globe.

Go : Summer Jazz Room Series, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, William Paterson University, Shea Center for Performing Arts, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, $18; 973-720-2371, wpunj.edu/wppresents/jazz-room-series .

Sarah Griesemer contributed to this story .

Have an event coming up? Tell us about it. Email Bill Canacci at bcanacci@gannettnj.com .

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth County Fair opens and more things to do this weekend at the Shore