TOMS RIVER – Where else but Toms River could you see a haunted pirate ship sail down Main Street? Where else could disco zombies follow marching robots? Where else could children duel with glowing swords while waiting for the horror to begin?
Toms River, of course! The second-largest Halloween parade in America descended upon the downtown area. As evening grew dark, people lined up on the sides of the road to watch. Witches and werewolves snacked on pizza and a pirate carried a stainless steel water bottle instead of a bottle of grog. One woman wore an elegant dress and antenna that suggested a moth, while the cryptid mothman silently glided through the crowd, eyes glowing.
During the day, it had been hotter than 80 degrees, so as the sun set, it was a beautiful night. It was a time when you could celebrate your love for famous horror or dark fantasy movies, whether it be Beetlejuice or Coraline or some other story. Perhaps you wanted to show your affection for the holiday by donning something more pastoral, such as a shirt with a pumpkin on it. Or, maybe you were being minimalist and wearing a shirt that simply said “This is my Halloween costume.”
Franklin Meyer of Toms River was at the parade waiting to see his daughter march with High School South. He got into the mood by dressing as Captain Spaulding from “House Of 1000 Corpses.”
“I was actually told years ago that I looked like him,” he said. That advice came from actor Kane Hodder, who played the hockey-mask wearing killer Jason Voorhees in several of the Friday the 13th movies. That’s someone who knows his horror.
Theo and Iris came from Barnegat to shamble about and cause some scares.
“I like princesses and I like zombies, too,” Iris said, which explained why she appeared to be a nightmare Walt Disney might have had.
“I forgot my Ghostface mask,” Theo said, referencing the Scream movies, so he might as well mess himself up with fake blood and spiderwalk upside down.
Even some of the dogs that people brought were in costume. The fire trucks and other first responder vehicles were also dressed up. Some people drove their own cars through the parade, decked out in themes of the macabre – and some that were just silly.
But toward the front of the parade was a man whose attire was not a costume. Joseph Placente, known as Mr. America, again graced the parade route, leading the way with the American flag.
