Some Giant Super Sunday Suggestions

It's a giant Super Bowl Sunday this week, and it's not just fans of the big blue machine that treat it like a holiday.

Millions of Americans, and reportedly hundreds of millions worldwide, will watch the game this weekend, likely making it the most watched program in TV history.

But there’s a lot more to do this Sunday than plop in front of the telly at home and watch the game. has plenty of other diversions, many having nothing to do with the gridiron classic. While some other events simply offer you a different place to watch the onfield battle, these alternative activities are scheduled to get you back home in time for kickoff.

We all love different experiences, so consider attending these events, all scheduled for Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5:

Middletown Lions Pancake Breakfast at Applebee's

Why not start the day with a 10 buck pancake breakfast that benefits a terrific cause? The Lions Club of Middletown Township will host their Fourth Annual Super Bowl Sunday Pancake Breakfast at , located at the corner of Route 35 and New Monmouth Road. The breakfast is open to the public and runs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Tickets are $10 per person, and are available by contacting Event Chairman John Giordano at 732-996-7495.

The full breakfast includes pancakes, eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and beverages.

The fundraiser will benefit Camp Happiness in , part of the New Jersey Blind Citizen’s Association (NJBCA).

NJBCA is a 100-year old non-profit organization which serves and advocates for blind and visually-impaired individuals through programs such as art therapy, physical fitness, computer training, garden therapy, job search, and additional day activities such as bingo, lectures, and field trips. Camp Happiness/NJBCA is an approved Lions Club charity.

Find out more by visiiting www.njbca.org or by calling Executive Director Doug Scott at 732-291-0878.

The benefit breakfast is sponsored by Middletown ;  ’s Route 35 Middletown branch; and the accounting firm of Paduano, Di Tomasso & Golda L.L.C., Ocean Township.

The Lions Club of Middletown Township was chartered in 1946, and the breakfast will provide an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with Lions members and charitable initiatives. Information on the Lions Club of Middletown Township is available on the Web site www.mlions.org.

"Charish the Museum" Exhibition at The Monmouth Museum 

There are only a few more days to enjoy the 6th Annual "Chairish the Museum" exhibit at the Monmouth Museum, located on the campus of in Lincroft. The exhibit is open during regular museum hours this Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

The exhibition features wonderfully creative and unique chairs designed by local artists and craftspersons that are displayed at the museum and in various locations in the community. The program continues through Wednesday, Feb. 8. The run ends on Friday with a silent auction of the artwork, to support educational programs at the museum.

Musuem admission is $7 per person. members and children under 2 are free. Students and faculty of Brookdale Community College are also admitted free with a valid i.d.

For more information, call the museum at 732-747-2266 or visit http://monmouthmuseum.org/chairish2011.html.

Open Ceramics at Thompson Park

Spark your crafty side at the Creative , during the open ceramics event from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The whole family is invited and no preregistration is required. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

You'll be able to choose from a huge selection of bisque fired pottery pieces, which can then be glazed and fired. Completed pieces will be available in about a week.

It's incredibly affordable at just $6 per person, per hour, plus price of bisqueware. Cash or check only will be accepted.

Thompson Park is in Lincroft at 805 Newman Springs Road.

You can find out more by calling 732-842-4000 ext 4343.

Christian Brothers Academy Art Show and Sale 

If making your own art doesn't thrill you, perhaps the works of art showing at (CBA) will make an impression: there are pieces by over 100 juried artists on display during the CBA Art Show, which concludes on Feb. 5.

For just 5 bucks per adult, with kids free, you can peruse the art and savor delicious selections from the café, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

And at 3 p.m., the Progressive 50/50 winner will be drawn. You can be a winner before that other game even begins.

CBA is located at 850 Newman Springs Road over in Lincroft.

For more information, call 732-747-1959. 

Monmouth Players Presents “Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers” 

Why not laugh all afternoon, to help relieve your pre-game nerves? Comedy is on tap when one of America’s funniest playwrights travels back to 1942 for a memory play about two brothers dealing with their eccentric extended family in New York, with "Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers" The show won four Tony Awards, including Best Play, and a Pulitzer Prize, and is one of SImon's best serio-comedies.

Monmouth Players is staging the 1991 Broadway smash at the Theater, located in the back of the Navesink Library at the corner of Sears and Monmouth Avenues. The theater entrance faces the parking lot between the library and the school next door.

The Super Bowl Sunday matinee is at 2 p.m. The show opens the night before on Feb 4, and continues through Feb 25. Check the Middletown Patch’s events calendar for a complete set of performance dates and times, if you can't make it on Sunday afternoon.

Admission is $17 for adults, $14 for students and seniors, and reservations are required. To make your reservation, email information@monmouthplayers.org and include your name, phone number, the performance date you wish to attend and the number of tickets you will need.

You can also call 732-291-9211 for more information.

Valentine's Jazz and Blues Concert "For Lovers"

Wanna really score with your significant other on Sunday? Then spend some time together at the free Valentine's Jazz and Blues Concert "For Lovers" in the Community Room from 2 to 3:30 p.m. It's happening at the main branch, located at 55 New Monmouth Road in Middletown.

Vintage jazz and blues duo Jennifer Jordan and Mike Barris are back by popular demand to help patrons get in the mood for Valentine's Day.

Tickets are free but required, and can be picked up at the library's Reference Desk.

With this event, you can really make it a Super Sunday after all.

For more information, see the library's Web site calendar, at www.mtpl.org.

BE SMART. STAY SAFE. DRIVE SOBER.

No matter what you choose to do this Super Bowl Sunday, please drive carefully and drive sober.

The New Jersey State Police have announced that they will be cracking down on drunken driving this Sunday. Sobriety checkpoints are also planned.

Meanwhile, the Bayshore Task Force will be patrolling in unmarked, semi-marked and marked patrol vehicles.

Violations such as reckless driving, speeding, unsafe lane changes, aggressive driving and other infractions will lead an to stop the vehicle and check to see if the operator is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. and drug recognition experts will be on duty and be able to identify those persons operating under the influence of drugs.

Smart motorists will take the cops' advice, and help keep the township safe, by refraining from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, and by driving defensively. Remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

We want to make sure we see every Middletown Monday morning quarterback, to share their analysis of the game. Or their thoughts on the art show. Or what they ate at the pancake breakfast. Or show us their ceramics. Or ...