The 87th Toms River Halloween Parade steps off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, and the route is the same as always. It starts near Highland Parkway and Main Street, runs down Main, and turns east onto Washington Street. What has changed is what you walk past along the way. Since last Halloween, a distillery tasting room, a hot dog shop, a rabbit cafe, and a romance bookstore have opened along those same blocks.
Pair those openings with the 2026 Downtown Toms River calendar and the picture changes. Main and Washington have something going on every Saturday from now through Halloween night, and the parade is the last of four in a row.
Walking the Route Before the Floats Do
Here are the new addresses on the parade path, Main Street first and then Washington:
- 28 Main Street: Bunny Haven Cafe
- 49 Main Street: Glizzy's by Harry
- 53 Main Street: Aurelia's Nook
- 13 Washington Street: Battle Grounds Distilling tasting room
Bunny Haven Cafe books 45-minute sessions with its rabbits, and you can also reserve a private session. Sessions start at $25, and private sessions cost a bit more. The cafe doesn't adopt out its own rabbits, but 105.7 The Hawk reports that staff will walk you through the adoption process if you're thinking about getting a rabbit. It's an easy afternoon stop with kids before the crowds take over Main Street.
Glizzy's by Harry comes from the Harry who runs Harry's Smokin' Barbecue in Toms River, and the hot dog menu leans on that barbecue background. In July, NJ.com reported a Sept. 1 opening target. 105.7 The Hawk has since covered it as open, with artwork filling the room inside. This will be its first parade season on Main Street.
Aurelia's Nook is the newest of the four. It's an independent bookstore focused on romance, and it started out as a small book business that grew into a traveling romance bookstore before taking space in the 53 Main Street shops. The ribbon-cutting was on Oct. 3. Mayor Daniel Rodrick and Councilman Craig Coleman were there to welcome the owner, Billy. That makes Halloween its first parade night on Main Street.
Battle Grounds Distilling is right where the route turns onto Washington. The tasting room opened to the public at 4 p.m. on Aug. 7. NJ.com identifies Tracy Bacon as operating owner and Heather Carney, Melissa Morrison, and Kristin Capone as the rest of the all-female ownership group. The opening lineup included bourbons, ryes, gins, and rums, with aged and limited cask-strength releases. The in-house "Director's Cut" program covers culinary-style cocktails. Patch also reports mocktails on the menu.
Four Saturdays on the Same Two Streets
The Downtown Toms River calendar for 2026 runs its fall programming along this same corridor. Here's what's left on it as of Monday, Oct. 5:
| Date | Event | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fri. Oct. 9 and Sat. Oct. 10 | Downtown Night Out | 5 to 10 p.m. |
| Oct. 9 through Oct. 23 | Scarecrow Walk | Display runs all two weeks |
| Fri. Oct. 16 and Sat. Oct. 17 | Downtown Night Out, final weekend | 5 to 10 p.m. |
| Sat. Oct. 17 | Harvest Arts Festival on Washington Street | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Sat. Oct. 24 | Haunted Downtown | 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Sat. Oct. 31 | 87th Halloween Parade | 7 p.m. |
Downtown Night Out has run Friday and Saturday evenings since May 29 and wraps up on Oct. 17. Its final Saturday falls on the same day as the Harvest Arts Festival, so Oct. 17 is the busiest day on the calendar. The festival takes over Washington Street from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with food trucks, handcraft vendors, a beer and wine garden, and a juried art show. Local bands play throughout the day, kids get free pumpkin painting, and admission and downtown parking are both free. The festival page also notes that local businesses, restaurants, and the brewery will be open along the street that day. That puts the festival on the same block as the Battle Grounds tasting room, which Patch lists as open Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Patch lists the tasting room's hours as Thursday 4 to 10 p.m., Friday 4 to 11 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. It gives no hours for Monday through Wednesday. Those come from the July opening coverage, so confirm with the tasting room before you plan a weeknight visit.
The Scarecrow Walk display runs Oct. 9 through Oct. 23. Then Haunted Downtown fills the evening of Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. The calendar confirms the date and time, but it hasn't posted 2026 trick-or-treat details yet. The trick-or-treat page on the downtown site still describes the October 2025 event. Watch the Downtown Toms River site for this year's version.
Saturday, Oct. 31 brings the parade. B98.5 has a live Halloween broadcast listed at Battle Grounds Distilling from 2 to 6 p.m. that day, with host Rashaud, prizes, and a parade pregame. The broadcast wraps an hour before step-off, at the corner of the route where the floats turn onto Washington.
Groups Have More Registration Nights This Year
Toms River Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 hosts the parade. If your organization is entering a float, the registration schedule has grown. Last year, Patch's parade guide listed a single evening registration night, on Oct. 27. For 2026, the Ocean County Tourism listing shows three evening sessions:
- Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6 to 8 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6 to 8 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6 to 8 p.m.
The county listing also shows parade-day registration from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Robbins Street firehouse. One wrinkle: Shore News Network's September story lists only the Oct. 13 and Oct. 27 evenings. If your group is counting on Oct. 20, call the fire company to confirm before you show up.
What Hasn't Been Posted for Parade Night
The parade is free to watch. Shore News Network reports that spectators tend to stake out spots well before the first floats arrive, especially along Main and Washington, where the biggest crowds gather. As of Oct. 5, a few practical details still aren't public:
- Road closures. The township usually closes downtown roads and restricts parking ahead of the parade, but it hasn't published the 2026 list or start times.
- Parking. The Township, the Downtown Toms River BID, and the fire company haven't named 2026 parade-night parking lots yet.
- Viewing and accessibility areas. No designated areas have been announced for this year.
Last year's Patch guide has detailed instructions, but they were for 2025. Shore News Network recommends following Toms River Township for closure and traffic updates as Halloween gets closer. If you're heading down Main Street on Oct. 31, plan to arrive early. The new stops at 28, 49, and 53 Main and 13 Washington will all be along the route.
Halloween in downtown Toms River is one of the best things about living here, and if you have questions about the blocks near the route or about getting to know the area, I'm glad to help. Brenda Weld works with neighbors across Ocean County. Let's Connect.
