Locals Enjoy Perks of Community
With our exceptional schools, growing recreational opportunities, access to top-notch health care and a positive business environment, Old Bridge Township has established itself as an ideal place for families, professionals and retirees. That is why so many families call Old Bridge home, and many others are sure to do the same with the area’s forthcoming residential and commercial development.
No matter what the season, there is always something fun and exciting to do in Old Bridge Township. It is the proud home to many sporting associations. In total there are 16 divisions of baseball and softball from Little League to teams ranging in age of 70-plus. The youth basketball association and soccer leagues both offer recreational and travel programs. Old Bridge has three youth recreational football teams along with competitive and noncompetitive cheerleading. A youth ice hockey program is offered at the ice arena. For the names and contact information of these leagues, visit www.oldbridge.com.
Parks and Recreation offer programs from Mommy and Me to offerings for adults. Cooking class, crafts, painting, yoga and a variety of fitness classes such as tennis with lessons and tournaments are held at the municipal tennis courts. Lacrosse is played on the newly renovated fields of Geick Park. The township offers a dance program for ages 3-12 that concludes with a dance recital in May. Online reregistration for classes are as follows: FALL/September, SPRING/February and SUMMER/May.
Camp ROBIN offers a year-round community therapeutic recreation program for disabled children and adults from age 3 and up. The Old Bridge Department of Parks and Recreation and Social Service is committed to the development of skill, increased self-confidence and esteem through mastery in sport so in time these participants are included in mainstream general recreation programs with their peers.
The Therapeutic Ice program is a wonderful example of the success of the program due to the growing number of competitors in the New Jersey Special Olympics. The adult program provides opportunities to participate in some of the township’s most popular recreation programs including fitness and yoga, cooking, crafts and computer classes. For more information about these programs, call (732) 721‑5600, ext. 4999 or visit the township’s website at www.oldbridge.com.
Silver Lining at Old Bridge in the George Bush Center offers residents age 60 and up countless daily activities, field trips, seminars and parties throughout the year. In addition to all the fun, the center provides a variety of social services and enrollment assistance. Residents are eligible for transportation around the township, to and from the Senior Center, supermarkets and to medical facilities in Old Bridge. They are a congregate meal site for Middlesex County. For more information, call (732) 721‑5600, ext. 6660.
Operation Beachhead provides recreational activities to disabled veterans, active duty military personnel and their respective families and children with special needs. Through their efforts, Operation Beachhead has grown from hosting two events to 10 events, providing recreational opportunities to over 200 veterans and their families this year.
The Old Bridge Library hosts many events and activities. Authors, Comic Con, concerts and a variety of workshops fill their calendar of events. They offer live tutors online for all students from K-12th grade, available seven days a week. For more information, visit www.oldbridgelibrary.org.
Many Old Bridge residents volunteer their time with organizations within the community, such as The Animal Shelter, Food Bank, Senior Center and CERT Citizens Emergency Response Team. The township’s recycling program sponsors the “Mayors Clean Team” offering schools and other nonprofit organizations an opportunity to receive grant money for picking up litter and keeping the community clean.
Many wonderful events go on throughout the year. The annual Memorial Day Parade and Salt Water Day on the Lawrence Harbor Beachfront feature a variety of games, local vendors, live music and fireworks. The Old Bridge Cultural Arts Committee hosts free Concerts in the Park all summer long. The multi-Generational Choir “Voices of Old Bridge” have weekly rehearsals for those in the community who love to sing. This program has been sponsored in part by grant funding provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural Arts Trust Fund. The committee also hosts a variety of pop-up art galleries featuring many local artist at the Shoppes at old Bridge.
Several vintage and classic automobile shows are held throughout Old Bridge. Every September, Old Bridge Day is held at the Township Complex, gathering the community, businesses and organizations in celebration of our town. As the leaves begin to change color, more fun programs and activities await. The Parks and Recreation Department host a week-long Haunted House at the Richard Allan Cooper Civic Center. Halloween Spooktakular is a fun-filled outdoor event that features many great family activities such as pumpkin painting, games, craft and hayrides.
Every December the mayor and council invite all the residences to the Annual Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting celebration. This is just a small glimpse of life in “Our Town.” For a calendar of events for the Township of Old Bridge, visit www.oldbridge.com.