Strand theater will host Festival of Senior Arts LAKEWOOD - If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the sounds of voices raised in song, dancers tapping their toes, actors rehearsing their lines and poets reciting their verses all in preparation for the Festival of Senior Arts. The Festival of Senior Arts is a three-day event being held at the Historic Strand Theater, 400 Clifton Ave., from June 27-29 in celebration of the spirit and talent of senior artists living in the community. The festival will be free and open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature a blend of the performing, healing and visual arts. The event is being sponsored by Harrogate, a not-for-profit lifecare community located in the heart of Ocean County and designed for adults 62 years of age and older. To date more than 75 senior performers between the ages of 60 and 93, including a former Mrs. Senior New Jersey, have signed up to perform in the variety show style review with performances in vocal, dance, drama, comedy, poetry and more. Performances will take place each day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the theater's main stage. Special performances by New Jersey groups such as the Sentimental Journey Orchestra will be held on June 28 from noon to 1 p.m. On June 29 from noon to 12:30 p.m. the Dardanelles, a popular doo wop group, will perform. Festival attendees can also "Meet the Maestro," Anthony La Gruth of the Garden State Philharmonic, on June 29 at 1:30 p.m. to enjoy an interactive discussion on the role symphonies and orchestras play in building better communities. Parallel events featured at the festival will include a gallery showing of the winners of the Senior Citizens Arts Exhibition, a collaboration of the Ocean County Office of Senior Services, the Senior Art Advisory Committee of Ocean County College and the Academy of Lifelong Learning. A special segment of the festival will include information on the benefits of the healing arts on health and wellness featuring holistic health information and special demonstrations on yoga, Pilates, tai chi and more presented daily from 10:30-11 a.m. by the Meridian Lifestyle and Fitness Program. In addition, graduate students from the Georgian Court University Holistic Health Studies program will provide demonstrations on the benefits of harp music therapy. A creative writing workshop, "Heal Through Words," is planned for June 29 at 1 p.m. in the gallery. "Heal Through Words" is a program that unlocks a person's creative writing talents for their therapeutic benefit. The program will be presented by Denise Lima, a professional senior activities director. A screening of the film "Do Not Go Gently," written and produced by Melissa Godoy and narrated by Walter Cronkite, will be presented daily in the gallery from 11 a.m. to noon. The film highlights the power and imagination of senior adults ages 85 and older. Fore more information regarding the festival's schedule of activities call (732) 367-7789, ext. 209.