Fodor’s Names New Jersey Town Among Top U.S. Halloween Destinations

Toms River, New Jersey has landed itself a spot alongside Salem and Sleepy Hollow on Fodor's prestigious list of American Halloween destinations.

This New Jersey town hosts what's become the second-biggest Halloween parade in the country, with only NYC's Village parade drawing larger crowds. The turnout is incredible. "Guinness Book of World Records actually came down several years ago and they counted the paraded route and the year that we made Guinness Book we had over 100,000 people here in Downtown Toms River," said Capt. Carl Weingroff to News 12 New Jersey.

The 86th parade happens October 31, 2025, at 7 p.m., featuring live music, decked-out trucks, and eye-catching floats cruising through town. Fire Company No. 1 kicked off this tradition back in 1919, and they're keeping it going strong.

People start getting ready well ahead. "For this town, it's a big deal. We actually started setting up yesterday," Vicki Ippolito shared with News 12 New Jersey from her spot at Mathis House on Main Street.

Planning to watch? The parade runs two miles down Hooper Avenue through downtown. Local trick-or-treating happens October 30 since the parade takes over on Halloween night.

Security is top priority. "We have undercover guys, we have uniform guys, we have horses out there, we have cameras in the sky everywhere, we have drones. Even though it's a great event to get everyone out there our number one concern is safety," Weingroff told News 12 New Jersey.

Want to join the parade? Register any Tuesday in October from 5 to 9 p.m. If it rains, they'll move everything to November 1, 2025.

Throughout its history, only three things have managed to stop this parade - the Great Depression, Superstorm Sandy, and COVID-19. While in town, take in the Halloween-themed store displays and visit spots where they filmed the 1979 'Amityville Horror' movie.