Your Guide to Downtown Festivals on Saturday

With twin festivals happening just blocks from one another, the downtown Toms River area will be packed Saturday.

Both are all-day, free events expected to fill both Huddy Park and Washington Street with visitors.

Arts and Music Festival

The annual Arts and Music Festival comes to Huddy Park from noon to 9 p.m.

The event celebrates live music and dance, visual arts and fine crafts of the region. It’s a chance for shopping and entertainment.

The live music line up is:

12:30 p.m. Harold Frazee on keyboards

1:30 p.m. African Dance Lady

3 p.m. XL Band

Food Fest

It’s a parade and a street-long food fest on Washington Street in Toms River, as what used to be Founder’s Day becomes Food Fest this year. The festivities are from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Portions of Hooper Avenue and Washington Street will close for a parade that kicks off at 11 a.m.

Opening ceremonies begin at noon with an invocation by Father Paul Pappas of St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church.

The live music line up is:

12:30 p.m., White Rabbit

2:30 p.m. Luv Krazy

4:30 p.m., Jobonanno and the Godsons of Soul

6:30 p.m. the CPR Band

Throughout the day the event features food, a beer garden, children’s activities, contests and more.

Parking and Traffic

The municipal parking deck is sure to fill up quickly, and parking on Washington Street will be impossible as the road is closed for vendors and pedestrians during the festival.  Two parking lots are a short walk from the festivities: the county parking deck off Hooper Avenue near the skywalk, and the two large paid parking lots across from the post office on Water Street.

As far as traffic, Main Street and Hooper Avenue south of Dayton should be affected thanks to the closure of Washington Street. Water Street will have an increase in pedestrian crossing due to the Huddy Park festival.

Our traffic suggestion would be to try the Highland Parkway to get downtown instead.