Toms River Halloween Parade Reminders For 2026 Celebration

TOMS RIVER, NJ — If you are planning to march in the 87th Toms River Halloween Parade or just planning to watch, Toms River Volunteer Fire Company 1 has reminders for Saturday.

Registration for the parade is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the fire company's firehouse at 26 Robbins St. on Saturday.

There are 11 walking divisions and 14 motorized divisions. See the list at the bottom of this article.

Road closures

The roads around the area, including most of Highland Parkway, Main Street and Washington Street, will be closed to traffic beginning at 5 p.m. The closure will remain in place until after the parade ends.

For marchers

The parade organizes on Highland Parkway. Walking division line up on Highland, and motorized divisions line up in the old Foodtown parking lot. The parade steps off at 7 p.m. and goes from Highland Parkway, south on Main Street, then left on Washington Street, ending at Hooper Avenue.

For spectators

Parking is available in the municipal lot on Irons Street, the municipal parking garage behind Town Hall, the parking lot by the football field at Toms River South next to the Ocean County Jail, and at the Ocean County parking garage on Hadley Avenue.

Chairs are not permitted to be placed before Saturday morning due to safety concerns. They need to be secured to keep them from blowing in the wind.

Thinking of entering? Here are the possible divisions:

• Best Decorated Baby Carriage or Express Wagon – Children under 4 years of age; in costume and in a carriage or wagon.
• Best Costume, Children younger than age 12
• Best Group in Line — Scouting Organization
• Best Decorated Motorized Float — Scouting Organization
• Best Decorated Motorized Float — Volunteer Fire Company and Volunteer First Aid Squads
• Best Group in Line — Junior Organization, for youth organizations other than Scouts
• Best Decorated Motorized Float — Junior Organization
• Best Group in Costume — Non-Affiliated Family 3 or more; can be family members or not, everyone must be dressed in a consistent theme.
• Best Group in Costume — Non-Affiliated/Family 3 or more Motorized (for floats)
• Best Couple — Any two individuals who wish to march in the parade together in an original/ comical theme.
• Best Appearing Motorized Vehicle— up to 1979
• Best Costume — 12 to 18. This division is for young adults. Costumes may be anything of an appropriate nature.
• Best Decorated Family Pet (walking). Pets must show proof of vaccination and must be leashed throughout the parade. It is YOUR responsibility to clean up after your pets.
• Best Decorated Family Pet (motorized). Pets must be secured on the float.
• Best Costume — 18 and older
• Best Group in Line — Community Organization; entrants may be in uniform or costume. (Examples of community organizations are the Elks, Kiwanis, Rotary Club, Moose Lodge, PTO/PTA School Association, etc.)
• Best Decorated Motorized Float — Community Organization
• Best Group in Line — Commercial Business. Must be in uniform or costume.
• Best Decorated Motorized Float — Commercial/Vo-tech. Entrants must be in costume or company uniform. Floats are expected to be decorated accordingly and made by amateurs.
• Best Appearing Motorized Vehicle — 1980 to Present. Any vehicle that can under its own power travel the parade route. Vehicles must be significantly decorated.

Full rules can be found on the Toms River Halloween Parade Facebook page and questions can be directed to Weingroff at cweingroff@trfire.org.