Fall fest arrives Sat. OLD BRIDGE - The township's Fair and Fall Festival, a free annual outdoor event featuring games, competitions, food and prizes, will return this year in full splendor. "Over 150 nonprofit groups, businesses and vendors have purchased booths for the event," according to Diane Amabile, assistant to Mayor Jim Phillips and event organizer. "This year's fair is going to be our best yet." Amabile said the event originated in the early 1990s and was restored during Mayor Barbara Cannon's administration in an effort to revive a sense of local pride. The mostly open-air festival, held in the parking lots surrounding and adjacent to the municipal complex, is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature a variety of attractions including live music by two bands. Parrot Beach will perform a Jimmy Buffett tribute from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Philadelphia Funk Authority will perform Motown and soul hits from 2-4:30 p.m. The event will also feature sumo wrestling, a basketball shoot, an obstacle course and various inflatable rides for kids. But the fair's crowning event this year may be the jelly donut eating contest, which is being sponsored by PBA Local 127. All or most of the events will feature prizes. And the fair's food court will offer pizza, hot dogs sausage and a variety of "comfort" foods. Since cars cannot park in the municipal lots, township shuttle buses will transport fair attendees from parking lots at Old Bridge High School and Sandburg Middle School every 10 minutes. In addition, free regular bus service will run from South Old Bridge and Englishtown Road; Madison Park and Central Park; and the Laurence Harbor and Cliffwood Beach areas every hour. For more information and bus schedules, check the township Web site at www.oldbridge.com.