TOMS RIVER – This will be the 80th – yes, 80th – Halloween parade in Toms River. It’s the second largest in the world, and it will be on Oct. 31, unless it has to be postponed until Nov. 1. It starts at 7 p.m.
Spectators should line up south of Highland Parkway. The parade will flow south on Route 9, make a left onto Washington Street, and end at Hooper Avenue.
If you want to put your chair out on the side of the road, do so only on Oct. 31. They must be secured so the wind doesn’t blow them into the street.
Parking is available at the county garage on Hooper Avenue or in the Toms River library’s garage. You can also park along any side street, but you must not block any driveways or fire hydrants. The parade streets will be closed down at 5:30 p.m.
“From what the weather looks like, dress warmly,” said Carl Weingroff, chairman of the parade committee for Toms River Fire Company No. 1, which runs it.
All marching bands in Toms River are expected to attend, as well as the high schools in Manchester and Central Regional. The Shamrock & Thistle band is also attending, he said.
Judges will award first and second places in a variety of categories, such as scout organization, and age brackets. Last year, the youngest person in the parade was six months old, and the oldest was 98, he said. So, it truly is for all ages.
If you can’t make it there, the parade will be streaming live on the Toms River School’s Channel 21’s Facebook channel. Afterward, the parade will be broadcast on television.
If you want to be in the parade, registration is only on the day of the parade. Starting at 8 a.m., you can come down to the firehouse at 26 Robbins St.
For more information, especially about if you intend to be in it, visit trfc1.org/halloween.html.
