One of my favorite food shops is the Battleview Orchards [91 Wemrock Road, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States] Country Store, especially for pies in the autumn after we go apple and pumpkin picking on their orchard. Downtown Freehold also has a Farmers Market [3681 U.S. 9, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States] during the summer and fall. Old Monmouth Candies [627 Park Avenue, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States] is a family-owned business for great candy selections, especially for the holidays.
The top places to purchase craft supplies are the large national chain stores such as Michaels [4345 U.S. 9, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States], A.C. Moore [7 U.S. 9 #11, Englishtown, NJ 07726, United States], and Hobby Lobby [120 U.S. 9, Englishtown, NJ 07726, United States]. There is also a specialty store called The Hobby Shop [1077 New Jersey 34, Aberdeen Township] that carries great toys and hobby kits that is not located in Freehold but is close by. In the past, I have frequented a beading store called The Birds and the Beads [411 New Jersey 79, Morganville] for jewelry making supplies and a brand new knitting store opened up nearby called Knit's Fabulous! [130 South Main Street, Marlboro Township] where my daughter and I are planning to enroll in a learn to knit class.
There are many fairs and festivals that take place in the county throughout the year. The Monmouth County Fair [Kozloski Road, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States] is a county-wide event held in Freehold every summer. In addition to rides, entertainment, livestock, etc. is the Home and Garden tent where you can purchase baked goods, fresh fruit and vegetables and, of course, arts and crafts items.
For dinner in Freehold, we love to go to A Little Bit of Cuba Dos [2 East Main Street, Freehold], a Cuban restaurant with charming decor. They make a great sangria base that can be served as is or you can bring your own wine for mixing. We also like Sweet Lew's Cafe [6 East Main Street, Freehold] for a casual breakfast or lunch. It has a cozy atmosphere and is located in the middle of town.
Cafe 360 [34 East Main Street, Freehold] is a cute cafe in downtown Freehold that offers food, coffee, and homemade gelato.
Metropolitan Cafe [8 East Main Street, Freehold], also in downtown Freehold, is where I like to go to meet friends for a drink or go out with my husband for a night out in Freehold. Another good place to meet for drinks is the recently renovated American Hotel [18 East Main Street, Freehold].
Outdoors, any of the parks in Freehold, such as Turkey Swamp Park [200 Georgia Road, Freehold], East Freehold Park, or Lake Topanemus [Lake Topanemus] Park would be a great place to sit and craft. Indoors, the Monmouth County Library [125 Symmes Road, Manalapan Township] comes to mind.
The Monmouth County Park System [805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft] is a great resource for crafters.
The Monmouth County Library [125 Symmes Road, Manalapan Township] is a good place to meet others. They offer free monthly events, classes, and concerts. Seniors can mingle at the town's Freehold Senior Center. In my opinion, the best place to meet new crafty friends would be to take a class offered by the Monmouth County Park System [805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft]. They offer so many classes for just about every interest; including ceramics, pottery, drawing, painting, knitting, sewing, jewelry making, cooking, photography, etc.
There are many historical sites in Freehold as New Jersey played a significant role during the American Revolutionary War. Some of its historical sites include Saint Peter's Episcopal Church [505 Main Street, Spotswood] (built in 1771), and the Monmouth Battle Monument [Freehold, NJ 07728, United States], commemorating the pivotal Battle of Monmouth in 1778. Each year in June, there is an reenactment of the Battle of Monmouth where scenes of the battle are recreated.
A great souvenir from Freehold would be Old Monmouth Candies [627 Park Avenue, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States] Company’s famous peanut brittle that uses the same recipe and techniques for over 70 years.
Monmouth County offers many beautiful parks to inspire you. In Freehold we have beautiful Turkey Swamp Park [200 Georgia Road, Freehold] which is a 2,173-acre, wooded park with a lake for fishing, boating, and ice-skating, miles of trails, an archery range and playgrounds. One of my favorite places to visit is Grounds for Sculpture in nearby Hamilton, NJ (probably a 30 minute drive from Freehold). This gorgeous park contains over 200 sculptures nestled within the natural beauty of the landscape. It is truly a unique and inspiring place to visit.
Top non-craft related attractions in Freehold include: Six Flags Great Adventure [1 Six Flags Blvd, Jackson, NJ 08527, United States] theme park located in Jackson, NJ; iPlay America [110 Schanck Road], an indoor theme park; Freehold Raceway Mall [3710 U.S. 9, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States] for shopping, and Freehold Raceway [130 Park Avenue, Freehold, NJ 07728, United States] for live harness racing.
The famous musician, Bruce Springsteen, was born and raised in Freehold. He attended school at St Rose of Lima School [51 Lincoln Place, Freehold] and enjoyed eating at Federici's Pizza [14 East Main Street, Freehold] so these may be two photos rock-enthusiasts might enjoy!