85th Toms River Halloween Parade: What you should know

TOMS RIVER, NJ – For the 85th year, goblins and ghouls will fill the streets downtown as Toms River Volunteer Fire Company 1 hosts the Toms River Halloween Parade to celebrate the holiday.

The parade is scheduled to follow its usual route — Highland Parkway, south on Main Street and east on Washington Street — and will begin at 7 p.m

Registration for the parade is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Toms River Fire Company 1 firehouse, 26 Robbins St., Toms River, and there are more than two dozen categories to participate, from floats and families to youth groups and even pets .

The marching bands from all three Toms River Regional high schools and three middle schools participate, along with dozens of youth groups, dance organizations, nonprofits and various businesses.

Here are the details you should know for the parade:

Parade history

The year 2024 will be the 85th edition of the parade. The parade was first held in 1919 and has been held almost annually since then. It was announced by the Guinness Book of Records as the second largest Halloween parade in the world.

Due to various events, the parade does not take place every year. During the global economic crisis in the 1930s, operations were interrupted for a few years due to a lack of money, and again for a few years during the Second World War. It was canceled in 2012 when Superstorm Sandy devastated the area just two days before Halloween, and was canceled in 2020 during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic.

You can learn more about the parade on Sandra Levine's podcast, Still Time for Joy.

Road closures

Main Street and Washington Street will be closed starting at 5:15 p.m. Thursday as protesters gather at the Toms River Shopping Center to wait in line. A portion of Highland Parkway will also be closed to traffic during parade setup.

Spectator parking lot

Parking is available in the Ocean County Parking Garage at Washington Street and Hadley Avenue. Do not park at the Toms River Shopping Center as vehicles will be towed.

The Halloween parade is the largest fundraiser for Toms River Volunteer Fire Company 1 each year.