HALLOWEEN PARADE
2012 Toms River Halloween Parade Cancelled
November 4, 2012
Toms River Fire Company No 1 announces that due to the ongoing impact
of Hurricane Sandy the 2012 Halloween Parade is cancelled.
The fire company members and our resources have been completely
deployed providing around the clock emergency services to the
community since October 29. In addition to responding to emergencies,
our members are providing aid to the community and our sister fire
departments that are effected by the storm. We are also supporting our own
members that have been impacted.Thank you to the community for all of your
support and concerns. We know that the Halloween Parade is a Toms River tradition
that many people enjoy. Planning for the 2013 parade will begin soon.
Toms River Halloween Parade
Parade History
The first Halloween Parade was held on October 31, 1919. The "Mardis Gras",as it was known then, was started as a fund raiser and nearly 500 people paid an entrance fee to march that first night.The line of march took the participants from the ball field on Horner Street, down to Washington Street, over to Hooper Ave, down to Water Street, then to Main Street, up to Seward Ave, back down Main Street to Washington Street and up Horner back to the ball field where prizes were awarded and a block party was held.The Top Prize in this first parade was a 1919 five passenger Ford touring car,"with lights and self starter". An estimated three thousand people, from as far away as Tuckerton, watched from the streets. The company made $500 on the parade ,which was pretty good considering that the treasury closed out the previous year with a little over $21 in it. This tradition continued until 1921 and for unknown reasons stopped. In 1933, the parade was started up again and Halloween Parade Prizes were donated by local merchants, a tradition that continues to today.
2011 Official Live Video
Produced by Critical Concepts Web
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Past Halloween Parade images (1997 - 2010) can be found here