The scarecrows have been hanging in downtown Toms River since October 9. Members of the community built them for the Downtown Toms River Scarecrow Walk. Ballots sit in shop windows that carry the walk's poster, and a ballot box waits inside the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library at 101 Washington Street. That display is the first part of a Halloween stretch that runs on its own schedule this year.
October 31, 2026 is a Saturday. The Toms River Halloween Parade always runs on Halloween night, so the 87th parade gets a weekend night, and so does Haunted Downtown one week earlier. On Thursday, October 22, downtown has three dates left on its Halloween calendar. Each one sets up the next.
| Date | What happens downtown | Who runs it |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 23 | Last day of the official Scarecrow Walk display and People's Choice voting | Downtown Toms River |
| Saturday, Oct. 24, 6 to 9 p.m. | Haunted Downtown on Washington Street | Downtown Toms River |
| Saturday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m. | 87th Annual Toms River Halloween Parade | Toms River Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 |
Friday is the scarecrows' last official day
The Scarecrow Walk has an official display from October 9 to October 23. Popular voting closes on the 23rd too. If you haven't voted yet, Friday is your last chance. The rules on the Downtown Toms River page are short:
- One vote per person. A ballot doesn't count without a name and a working email address.
- Where to get a ballot. Ballots are at participating downtown businesses that show the Scarecrow Walk poster in the window.
- Where to drop it off. There's a ballot box at The Downtown Shops @ 53 Main, 53 Main Street, and one at the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library, 101 Washington Street. Any business with a "VOTE HERE" sign in its window also takes ballots.
Winners are picked in two categories. People's Choice comes from the public vote. Judge's Choice is decided on a date that isn't announced, by judges who stay anonymous. The 2025 results on the same page show who builds these. Last year's Judge's Choice second place went to "Josh-O-Lantern" by the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission. People's Choice went to "Junk-in-the-Box" from Ladacin Oberlin Access Clients, with Girl Scout Troop 60209 in second for "Head Over Heels for Girl Scouts." The entries come from families, troops and local organizations.
Entries can be removed starting October 24 and must be gone by November 2, and the walk's page says scarecrows may stay up through the Halloween Parade on October 31. So the voting ends Friday, but many of the scarecrows may still be hanging along the parade route a week later.
Saturday, October 24 is Haunted Downtown
The night after voting closes, Washington Street switches to an evening event. Star News Group's October roundup lists Haunted Downtown for October 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. Residents and nonresidents can walk downtown in costume, stop at the town's local restaurants and bars, and see seasonal art decorating downtown businesses.
Haunted Downtown is the quieter of the two Saturdays. Nobody is saving curb space, and there's no step-off time to plan around. It's three hours on Washington Street with dinner, costumes and whatever scarecrows are still up. If you're bringing kids to the parade a week later, it's also a good evening to learn the blocks around Main and Washington before the crowds arrive. For details, Star News Group lists the Downtown Toms River office at 732-341-8738 and points readers to downtowntomsriver.com.
Saturday, October 31 gives the parade a full day
The parade is the 87th, and the Toms River Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 runs it. It starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, according to the Ocean County Tourism event listing. When Halloween falls on a weekday, the parade comes at the end of a workday. This year the whole day is free, and 105.7 The Hawk's 2026 parade guide points to that directly:
"It's one of the biggest Halloween parades in the entire country, and for 2026, it's going to be bigger and more exciting due strictly to the fact that Halloween, the day the parade takes place, is on a Saturday night."
The same guide gives the order of the day, which starts long before 7 p.m.:
- Morning. The Hawk writer says they usually see people lining the streets and saving spots early in the morning.
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Day-of registration for parade participants.
- 7 p.m. Step-off at Highland Parkway and Route 166.
Groups that would rather not register on parade day have one more weeknight. Registration runs every Tuesday in October from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Toms River Firehouse on Robbins Street, so the last session before the parade is Tuesday, October 27. The Hawk writer has marched every year with their band and recommends signing up early.
The route and where to stand
The parade starts near Highland Parkway and Main Street, heads down Main Street and turns east onto Washington Street, Shore News Network reported in September. Some of the biggest crowds gather along those two streets. Watching is free.
The Hawk's guide recommends two viewing areas: Main Street/Route 166 above Washington Street, or Washington Street near the Municipal Building. The first puts you near the start of the route. The second is on the Washington Street stretch, near the library, where one of the scarecrow ballot boxes is.
How big it gets
Crowd estimates vary by source. The Downtown Toms River Scarecrow Walk page says entries can be seen by more than 20,000 people at the parade, and it calls the 2025 parade the second-largest Halloween parade in the United States. Shore News Network reports that crowds have historically numbered in the tens of thousands, and that some estimates top 100,000 in especially busy years. The Hawk expects this year's parade to be bigger because Halloween falls on a Saturday night.
A red, white and blue twist for the 87th
The 105.7 The Hawk guide also reports a patriotic theme this year to mark America's 250th. It says to expect patriotic floats, costumes and red, white and blue decorations along with the usual Halloween ones. Shore News Network describes a typical parade lineup of fire trucks, elaborate homemade floats, marching bands, civic organizations, businesses and costumed participants on both sides of the route. This year, some of those floats may be carrying flags along with the pumpkins.
Getting around downtown that night
If you're driving through downtown on October 31 for any reason, plan around the parade. Shore News Network notes that road closures and parking restrictions usually go into effect before the parade so organizers, emergency crews and participants can set up the route. It also says to expect major traffic changes that evening. Closure times and parking details come from Toms River Township, which posts municipal traffic and road-closure information closer to Halloween. For questions about the parade itself, Star News Group lists Toms River Fire Company No. 1 at 732-349-0144.
This year's Saturday Halloween changes the planning at home too. Morning spot-saving, afternoon float check-in, trick-or-treating and a 7 p.m. step-off all fall on the same day. If you live within walking distance of Main Street or Washington Street, you can leave the car at home and walk down.
Every October, Main and Washington show what it's like to live a few blocks from downtown Toms River. If parade season has you wondering about homes within walking distance of the route, Samantha Vallone Verwey is happy to talk through which streets are walkable to downtown. Let's Get You Home.
