The Toms River Halloween Parade (Credit: Townsquare Media/105.7 The Hawk)
Cancellations linked to the coronavirus pandemic are already reaching into the fall season, with Toms River Vol. Fire Co. No. 1 announced Thursday that its famed Halloween Parade would be canceled this October.
The parade was canceled “for the safety of the community and all first responders involved,” an announcement from the fire company said.
“This pandemic has struck all aspects of normalcy,” the announcement went on to say. “Even though the curve has straightened out a little bit, the risk is still at a high with the magnitude of people that crowd in the downtown area we feel this is the best decision.”
The parade attracts thousands of spectators each year and is widely considered to be the second-largest of its kind in the nation, after the Greenwich Village parade in New York City. Organizers said this will be the third event that has caused the parade to be canceled – the first two were the Great Depression of the 1920s and Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
“We look forward in seeing and working with everyone at our 2021 Halloween Parade,” the announcement said, which will be set for Saturday, Oct. 30, due to Halloween falling on Sunday. A rain date will be Monday, Nov. 1, 2021.
