Start Planning For The 79th Toms River Halloween Parade

TOMS RIVER, NJ — If the appearance of pumpkin spice everything everywhere has you thinking about Halloween, there's good news: Toms River Volunteer Fire Company 1 has released its annual Halloween Parade information booklet.

The 79th Halloween parade is scheduled for Halloween; Oct. 31 falls on a Tuesday this year. The rain date is Wednesday, Nov. 1. If the parade is postponed, the announcement will be made on the fire cojmmpany it will be on all of their social media, all radio stations and on News 12 New Jersey.

The parade has been held annually on Halloween for most of its 79 editions. It was canceled in 2012 as it fell two days after Superstorm Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore. There were attempts to hold it on the Saturday prior to Halloween but participation plummeted and organizers moved it back to Halloween permanently.

Trick-or-treating in Toms River will be held Oct. 30, by mutual agreement among township officials and the fire companies. Beachwood also is trick-or-treating on Oct. 30.

Carl Weingroff, parade adviser for Toms River Volunteer Fire Company 1, issued the following reminders for parade participants and parade spectators:

• The parade route again starts at the Toms River Shopping Center and will go south on Main Street and east on Washington Street, before ending at Hooper Avenue. Main Street will be closing to all traffic at 5:45 p.m.
• Those walking in the parade should be dropped off in groups if possible at the Toms River Shopping Center no later than 6 p.m. Vehicles should enter the shopping center from Route 37. All floats are to enter the shopping center off Highland Parkway by the old Foodtown.
• All registration for the parade is done on parade day at the Toms River Fire Company 1 firehouse on Robbins Street, between Washington Street and Water Street. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and goes until 4 p.m.
• There is no registration fee to participate however donations are appreciated.
• Spectators may place chairs along the sidewalk on the morning of the parade. They must be secured so they are not flying around. Chairs that are placed along the route prior to the day of the parade may be removed by the Toms River Police Department due to safety concerns.
• TV-21 will be videotaping the parade for broadcast at a later date and will be stationed at the judges' stand on Washington Street instead of the intersection of Washington and Main streets.
• There will be no politics, no campaigning and no alcohol permitted in any division during any times of the parade or set up of the parade.
• Moving vehicles are not permitted to throw anything and there are no walkers permitted around any motorized division. "There is a ZERO tolerance for this rule for the safety not only for our spectators but participants in the parade," Weingroff said.

There are new divisions this year, giving them a total of 21 divisions to pick from when registering. New this year are:

• “B” – Best Representation of Station Eleven – Toms River Regional Schools
• “N” Best Decorated Family Pet (Walking)
• “O” Best Decorated Family Pet (Motorized)

Anyone who has questions can visit their website or contact the fire company by email at cweingroff@trfire.org or mduell@trfire.org. Follow them on Facebook (click here) for updates.

Participants march in the 2015 Toms River Halloween parade. Photo by Karen Wall