October 31, 1919: The First Toms River Halloween Parade

The first Toms River Halloween Parade, started as a fund raiser for the , was held on October 31, 1919, and was initially called Mardi Gras.  Even in its first year it was quite a success, drawing a crowd of about three thousand people, mostly all from Ocean County, and containing approximately five hundred participants. 

The event has been held nearly then.  It is still run by the volunteer fire company and has grown significantly in size and fame since its original incarnation.  People from much farther away come to attend, and the Toms River parade is now among the world’s largest Halloween parades.  There are now over six-thousand participants and crowds that break the 100,000 mark.

Thanks to the parade being held on Halloween, savvy trick-or-treaters have long had the opportunity to go trick-or-treating two nights in a row, as Toms River’s trick-or-treat is usually a day or so before other surrounding townships.