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The "star-spangled spectacular" will feature live music, dancing and more when it comes to Bell Works in June.

HOLMDEL, NJ — Tickets are now on sale for America’s 250th Birthday Gala, a celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial set to take place in Holmdel.

On Thursday, June 25, at 6 p.m., the celebration will kick off with a cocktail hour, dinner, live music and dancing at Bell Works, county officials said.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Friends of the Monmouth County Parks, an organization that supports the preservation and enhancement of the county’s park system.

“The gala promises to be a truly historic evening, bringing together leaders, residents, and friends of Monmouth County to honor our shared past and celebrate the bright future ahead,” said Christine Giordano Hanlon, Monmouth County Clerk and Co-Chair of the MonmouthNJ 250 Committee.

“As we commemorate America’s 250th birthday, this event will recognize the enduring spirit of patriotism and community that has defined Monmouth County since our nation’s founding.”

Early Bird tickets for the gala, available through April 17, are $150 per individual ticket or $1,250 for a table of 10.

After April 17, tickets will be $200 per individual ticket or $2,000 for a table of 10. Tickets can be purchased here.

“We hope to see representation from all 53 towns across Monmouth County at this historic event, as each municipality has played, and continues to play, a vital role in shaping and preserving our County’s rich history,” said Thomas Arnone, Monmouth County Commissioner Director and Co-Chair of the MonmouthNJ 250 Committee.

“This gala will be a special opportunity to come together as one county to honor our shared past, celebrate our present, and look ahead to the next 250 years of American democracy.”

The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners established the MonmouthNJ 250 Committee in 2023 to help plan and coordinate events commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.

County Clerk Christine Hanlon and Commissioner Director Arnone serve as co-chairs of the committee.

To learn more about the MonmouthNJ250 Committee and upcoming events celebrating America’s 250th birthday, you can visit the MonmouthNJ250 website.

Bell Works is located at 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel.

On Saturday, February 21, 2026, the Greek School Parent Teacher Organization of Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church in Holmdel, New Jersey, hosted its annual Apokriatiko Glendi at the Grand Marquis in Old Bridge, an evening filled not only with music and laughter, but with meaning.

Families, grandparents, parishioners, and friends gathered to celebrate Apokries together. Children ran excitedly between tables. Parents greeted one another warmly. Grandparents watched with quiet pride. Beneath the festive atmosphere was something deeper, a shared understanding that Hellenic identity thrives when faith, tradition, and community move forward side by side.

From the welcoming cocktail hour and carefully arranged raffle displays to the formal prayer that centered the evening, the Glendi carried both joy and intention. As the Orthodox faithful prepare to enter Great Lent, the celebration felt especially significant, a reminder that in our tradition, festivity and reflection are not opposites, but partners.

In his message to the parish, Archimandrite Avgoustinos Psomas reminded attendees that Apokries is more than celebration; it is a moment to give thanks and prepare the heart for renewal.

“Events like this are far more than celebrations,” he wrote. “They are expressions of love, sacrifice, and unity that strengthen the life of our parish and nurture the hearts of our children.”

His words resonated throughout the room. As the Church gently guides the faithful toward the Lenten journey, gatherings such as this offer families the opportunity to pause, reconnect, and renew their spiritual commitment together.

Apokries (Απόκριες), often called the Greek Carnival season, carries both ancient Hellenic roots and Orthodox Christian meaning. Derived from apo kreas — “abstaining from meat” — the season unfolds through Prophoni, Kreatini, and Tyrini, culminating in Kathará Deftéra, Clean Monday, the beginning of Great Lent.

While music and dancing mark the outward joy of the season, its deeper message is one of balance — celebration joined with gratitude, festivity paired with spiritual readiness.

That balance was beautifully reflected throughout the evening.

The success of the Glendi was made possible through the dedication of the Kimisis Greek School PTO Executive Board:

Helen Koufidis, President
Stephanie Fotinos, Vice President
Georgia Aravantinos, Secretary
Bill Bucco, Treasurer

In her message to families and supporters, President Helen Koufidis spoke from the heart.

“This beautiful celebration is more than a night of music, dancing, and joy; it is a reflection of the love, dedication, and strong sense of community that surrounds our children and our school,” she wrote.

She also recognized the essential role of families, sponsors, parishioners, and volunteers, those quiet pillars who ensure that the Greek School continues to pass forward not only language and culture, but identity itself.

One of the most moving moments of the evening was the performance of the Kimisis Greek School dancers. Watching the children take the floor, dressed in traditional attire, was to witness heritage in motion.

The beginner group — Christina Alaimo, Apollo Bucco, Kyra Karatzia, Stavroula Koukoumis, Niko Koukoumis, and Eva Lambrino.

Intermediate dancers — Maria Alaimo, Aretousa Aravantinos, Dionysios Aravantinos, Joey Bucco, Niko Fotinos, Christina Krimitsos, Katerina Lambrinos, Valentina Vasilakis, and Eliana Zayas.

The advanced group — Zoey Anastasatos, RJ Bucco, Anthony Dyer, Stavros Fotinos, Alexandra Horkheimer, Dimitri Koufidis, Marianna Koufidis, Melina Parameritis, and Panagiota Rexinis.

These were not simply performances. They were living affirmations that Greek language, Orthodox faith, and tradition remain alive, not as relics of the past, but as gifts carried forward.

As dinner was served and the dance floor filled, the most beautiful image of the night emerged: children dancing beside grandparents, parents applauding with full hearts, friends embracing as music carried across the room.

In communities across America, the preservation of Hellenic identity depends not only on schools or institutions, but on moments like these, when faith is honored, culture is lived, and the next generation sees its heritage not as something distant, but as something they are actively becoming.

Through legal action and strategic negotiation, Holmdel secures a 20% reduction in state housing mandates to prevent over-development.

In towns like Holmdel, preserving community character while meeting state mandates is not an abstract policy debate - it is a responsibility we take seriously every day.

New Jersey’s affordable housing mandates are among the most aggressive in the nation. Municipalities are required – under court-enforced obligations stemming from the state’s Mount Laurel doctrine – to re-zone properties for affordable housing development.

Due to the egregious nature and overreach of this law, including its new unfair formula that imposes obligations for every decade into perpetuity, we felt we needed to take a bolder approach than Holmdel has ever taken before.

This approach was two-pronged:

1.Aggressively challenge the latest mandate through all available legal channels

2.Work to negotiate the mandate down while pursuing legal challenges

Simply put, we have asked the courts to stop the unfair treatment of the suburbs, while maintaining a failsafe to minimize the damage Trenton’s mandates could do to our town.

On the legal front, we joined 25 other towns in lawsuits challenging the 2024 Fair Housing Act (FHA). This effort began in 2024 and included Deputy Mayor Foster testifying in court on our behalf in 2025.Over the past several months, the coalition pushed for an injunction against the March 15 deadline to complete re-zonings.

Regrettably this request was rejected by the federal courts – all the way up to the United State Supreme Court. While this outcome was disappointing, we know that we took this to the highest court in the land before moving forward. It’s my job to fight for you and our town and we took this fight as far as the law allows.

While we were fighting the 2024 FHA in the courts, we simultaneously executed our plan to reduce the mandate. The state wanted us to add 133 new affordable units to Holmdel AND we had to account for another 31 that were left over from the previous mandate. For those that don’t know the particulars, when the state demands 164 affordable units, that basically means 820 new homes. This is because, for developers to make money (yes, you’re reading that right), they must build 4 market-rate homes for every 1 affordable.

So, we had quite a task in front of us.

Through aggressive negotiations, strategic planning, and extraordinary coordination amongst our team of lawyers, planners, and engineers we reduced the new mandate by 20%, down to 106 units.

That was the plan we just approved. And, due to the expertise that our town brought to those negotiations, we will NOT have to approve 4 market-rate homes for every 1 affordable. The mandate will be contained to two specific areas.

1.Within the new retirement and assisted living community at 23 Main Street, Holmdel will satisfy part of our obligation through Medicaid “credits” and some single-family townhomes dispersed within the development.

2.On Route 35 – in the area behind Kohl’s, we’ll be using land designated by a previous Township Committee for 80 units that are 100% dedicated to Trenton-mandated housing. This is a substantial reduction in density from the past Township Committee approval of 170 mixed market-rate and affordable units for the property.

If we do not take these steps right now, we would cede control of our town’s landscape to the state and developers – which is currently on display in two of our neighboring municipalities.

Holmdel has long been known for careful stewardship and thoughtful growth. That tradition continues today. We have fought where fighting was necessary. We negotiated where negotiation produced results. And we are planning responsibly to preserve what makes our town special.

As always, I encourage residents to stay engaged, attend meetings, and review the materials we share. Your input strengthens our process and improves our decisions. Together, we will manage Trenton’s mandates and protect the character of Holmdel for generations to come.

Although the calendar still says winter, signs of warmer weather ahead are becoming louder and more alive as we slowly get closer to that first day of Spring.

And now that January is in the rearview mirror, most of us in the Garden State can't wait for that thaw to really kick in. Higher sun angles, longer days, and melting snow are all signs that we're getting there.

Before you know it, we'll start seeing those early flowers emerge from the ground getting ready for that first bloom. And considering the winter we're having, it just makes you appreciate the warmer weather that much more.

Speaking of warmer days and blooming flowers, there's a big flower show in New Jersey that's coming later on this month. For those who were unaware, here's what's happening.

For those of you who love orchids, this is an event that you cannot miss. Billed as "the biggest orchid event of the year," the Deep Cut Orchid Society is hosting their 27th annual orchid show happening in Holmdel, NJ, this February.

And based on past events, I can promise you this show will be incredible. You'll see hundreds of blooming orchids, plus live lectures to help you care for them, and plenty of plants that you can purchase and take home that day.

As soon as we learned about this my son got very excited (he's becoming quite the little gardener), and can't wait to attend this years festivities.

If this is the first time you're hearing about the show, no worries. There's a reason this show has been happening for years and why it's worth the trip to check out.

The 27th annual Deep Cut Orchid Society Show and Sale is happening at Dearborn Gardens in Holmdel, and is absolutely free to attend. Here's when to check it out.

More details on this years orchid show can be found here.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.