The award-winning Allentown High School jazz ensembles, Bird in Flight and Famous Last Words, will give a free concert June 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Byron Johnson Park gazebo. The concert will celebrate the bands’ recent invitation to perform in the 2006 New Year’s Day parade in London, England.

The concert will feature works from the “On the Town” concert that was held at the high school in April, including music from James Bond movies, the Berklee School of Music, and jazz charts from the Maynard Ferguson library.

The concert is free and open to all. Attendees are invited to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets, while the Redbird Band Parents Association will be on hand to make concert-goers their favorite plate of ice cream.

‘Hidden Gardens

Tour’ set for June 11

Seven private gardens will be open to the public June 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of the Allentown Garden Club’s fourth “Hidden Gardens Tour.”

A variety of garden styles will be represented, and visitors will have the opportunity to purchase large, healthy perennials from Pleasant Run Wholesale Nursery on Ellisdale Road, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the club. Maps with the locations of all the gardens will be distributed to ticket holders the day of the tour.

Several Allentown shops and restaurants will be offering special discounts to ticket holders. Tickets are $10 if purchased in advance, and can be purchased at Hoffman’s Bakery, the Allentown Public Library, and at Off the Wall Craft Gallery in the Old Mill, all on Main Street. Tickets on the day of the event will be available for $12 at Keris Tree Farm, 842 Route 524, Allentown. The tour will be held rain or shine. Proceeds will help fund the club’s community beautification and speaker programs. For more information, visit the Web site www.AllentownGardenClub.org or call Taryn at (609) 259-6526.

Pony and carriage rides, music, games June 12

The Handicapped High Riders Club at Riding High Farm, Allentown, will host the 18th annual Family and Friends Day on Sunday, June 12, from noon to 4 p.m., rain or shine. The event will feature pony and carriage rides, music, games, Moon Bounce, basket raffles, and auctions of items for adults and children.

This year, HHRC will present its second annual yearbook, which includes information about the programs, pictures of student riders, volunteers, staff, and the horses and ponies that make it happen. HHRC will also hold a vacation raffle. The first-place prize is a trip for four to Orlando, Fla., including air fare on Continental from Newark, and four days and three nights at the Omni Hotel. Second prize is a weekend for two at the Dancer Farm Bed and Breakfast Inn, New Egypt, and third prize is “Blaze,” a plush rocking horse. The drawing will be held at 3 p.m. Riding High Farm is located on Route 526 approximately two miles east of Allentown.

For more information, call Rachel Johnson-Keller at (609) 259-3884

Event to raise funds for

band’s trip to London

Friendly’s restaurant in the Foxmoor Shopping Center, Robbinsville, will host a fund-raiser to benefit the Allentown High School Redbird marching band.

On June 14 from 5 to 9 p.m., 10 percent of all sales will go directly to help fund the band’s trip to London, England, to perform in the 2006 New Year’s Day parade.

Half-day summer camps

offered in Millstone

Millstone Township Community Education will offer summer camp programs from June 13 through July 15.

The half-day camps for school-age children will range from arts and crafts to cooking, science, theater, art, golf, reading and math, and will run from either 9 a.m. to noon or 12:30-3:30 p.m.

All participants will be bused to the Millstone Middle School from the Wagner Farm Athletic Park.

For more information or a brochure, call Barbara Schulze, director, at (732) 446-6802, ext. 17.

‘The Rock Slinger’ to be

presented by youth choir

The Youth Choir of the Allentown Presbyterian Church will present “The Rock Slinger and His Greatest Hit,” a musical production of the story of David and Goliath, June 10 at 7 p.m. at the church, 20 High St., Allentown. The musical will also be presented June 12 during services at 8:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.

The production, which features more than 30 youths, is free and open to the community. For more information, call (609) 259-7289.

U.F. Rec offering summer

camp for grades K-6

The Upper Freehold Township Recreation Department will once again be conducting a summer camp program for children entering grades K-6 in the fall.

The five-week program will run from June 27 through Aug. 5 (no camp week of July 18) from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The camp will be held at the Upper Freehold Elementary School.

The cost is $220 per camper for the full five-week program. Sibling discounts are available. The camp will feature a variety of activities including sports, games, arts and crafts, water play activities, and more. For more information or a registration form, call (609) 758-7738, ext. 12, or visit www.uftnj.com.

Food and craft vendors

sought for July festival

The Allentown Presbyterian Church is organizing its third annual “Freedom Fest”, which is scheduled for July 18-23 at the Upper Freehold Regional School complex, Route 539, Allentown. The event will feature Amusements of America, games, food, craft vendors, and entertainment all week. This year’s lineup includes The Nerds on Monday, The Fabulous Greaseband on Tuesday, The B Street Band (Bruce Springsteen tribute band) on Wednesday, the Community Christian Choir on Thursday, child entertainer Mr. Ray on Friday with the band Three Sides Now playing later Friday evening, and fireworks on Saturday. Food and craft vendors are needed for the event. For more information, call David Joye at (609) 259-2233.

Lemonade stand to raise funds for pediatric cancer

Alex’s Lemonade Stand, to benefit pediatric cancer, will be held June 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Roosevelt post office, 1 Rochdale Ave. (Route 571).

Jessie Hickey, 9, and her sister Lacey, 6, will be hosting the event, which is named for Alexandra “Alex” Scott, a little girl who was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma (childhood cancer) before her first birthday. She bravely fought her cancer for more than 7 years and started a successful nationwide fund-raising campaign for childhood cancer. Alex died Aug. 1, 2004, but her legacy continues, fighting pediatric cancer “one cup at a time.”

For more information, visit www.alexslemonade.com. or call (609) 443-5030.