Five Things You Need to Know Today: April 1, 2011

1. Happy April Fool's Day!: April 1 is internationally recognized as a day of pranks and practical jokes, and has been since the Middle Ages. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for any suspicious tricksters!

2. The Red Bank Regional High School Commercial Art Show begins tonight at 6 p.m. at The Guild of Creative Art located at 620 Broad St. in Shrewsbury. The exhibit, which is free, showcases the work of the RBR's Visual and performing Art Academy's Commercial Art Program. The show is entitled "Outside the Lines". While the art will be displayed until April 13, a kick-off reception will be held tonight from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. where refreshments will be served. For more information on the show and the artists, click here.

3. Be Our Guest: Maple Place Middle School in Oceanport premiere's it's rendition of "Beauty and the Beast Jr." tonight at 7 p.m! An encore performance will be Saturday, April 2 at 7 p.m. and the final show will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 3. All shows take place in the school's cafetorium.

Can't make it? Patch has you covered! Expect video clips and photographs from the show to be published next week!

4. Looking to shed some unwanted poundage in a charitable way? Run, walk, or bike for charity! This Saturday, April 2 two great and active fundraisers are taking place locally. Race for Haiti's Children 5k  starts and ends at the First Presbyterian Church of Red Bank-Tower Hill, and a 50 mile bike ride that supports the family of an ill Little Silver resident, Lucas Viscomi, starts at Allaire State Park (1 Prospect Plaza, Little Silver). Both races begin promptly at 9 a.m.

5. The official start to the high school sports spring season has arrived! Here is a list of home games at RBR and Shore Regional taking place this afternoon. 

Red Bank Regional:

• Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Ocean Township High School at 3:45 p.m.
• Boys Varsity Baseball vs. Colts Neck High School at 4 p.m.
• Boys JV Baseball vs. Colts Neck High School at 4 p.m.
• Girls Varsity Softball vs. Colts Neck High School at 4 p.m.
• Girls Varsity Softball vs. Colts Neck High School at 4 p.m.
• Boys Varsity Tennis vs. Manasquan High School at 4 p.m.
• Girls JV Lacrosse vs. Ocean Township High School at 5:30 p.m.

Shore Regional:

• Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Red Bank Catholic at 4 p.m.
• Girls JV Lacrosse vs. Red Bank Catholic at 5:30 p.m.