(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Explore the rich history, songs and legends of the Pine Barrens with "New Jersey’s Troubadour." The Ocean County Library presents "Tunes & Tales with Valerie Vaughn" at four OCL branches from April 20 to May 15, 2024.

* Long Beach Island Branch – Saturday, April 20 at 2:00pm; 217 South Central Avenue, Surf City, (609) 494-2480. Register at https://tinyurl.com/OclLbiValerie.

* Waretown Branch – Monday, May 6 at 6:00pm; 112 Main Street, (609) 693-5133. Register at https://tinyurl.com/OclWaretownValerie.

* Jackson Branch – Monday, May 13 at 2:30pm; 2 Jackson Drive, (732) 928-4400. Register at https://tinyurl.com/OclJacksonValerie.

* Upper Shores Branch – Wednesday, May 15 at 6:00pm; 112 Jersey City Avenue, Lavallette, (732) 793-3996. Register at https://tinyurl.com/OclUPValerie.

Valerie has performed throughout New Jersey in a distinguished career. She is among the inaugural recipients of the New Jersey Heritage Fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Her evocative songs earned the Ocean County Commission’s Special Award and the Pine Barrens Festival Award for preserving “the culture, heritage, and natural beauty” of the Pinelands.

She has appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and in televised specials, shared the stage with the legendary Pete Seeger, and spun musical tales in England.

In addition to performances and dialogues on YouTube, Valerie is featured on the Tuckerton Seaport website and teaches at Tuckerton’s Jersey Shore Folklife Center.

The performances are part of the Ocean County Library’s Neighbors Connecting Series of Programs and are sponsored by a grant from the OceanFirst Foundation and the Ocean County Library Foundation.