Annual Halloween Parade Haunts Downtown Toms River

From 2019 - Mila Triolo, 4, of Beachwood is costumed as a mini version of Toms River resident Sondra Fortunato right down to a pint-sized version of Fortunato’s decorated car. Both the original and her tiny doppelganger were in the 81st Annual Toms River Halloween Parade. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)

  TOMS RIVER – Downtown Toms River was once again filled with costumed creatures, marching bands and floats on Halloween Night.

  Toms River’s 81st Halloween Parade maintained its record as the second largest Halloween parade in the world and drew several thousand people to observe and take part in the spooky event.

  The popular parade is coordinated by the members of Toms River Fire Company No. 1. The fire company was founded in 1896 and the parade has rarely been canceled, one such exception was in 2012 due to the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. The blustery weather may have given an air of autumn to the event but it was thankfully devoid of raid.

Photo by Bob Vosseller

  Various organizations and individuals marched or rode down the parade route which had judges award first and second places in a variety of categories.

  This year’s parade Grand Marshall was Joseph Placente, who first took part in 1937. “I was seven years old and I dressed up as Donald Duck,” Placente said. He joined Toms River Fire Company No. 2 in 1958 and has become a life member. He was honored in 1968 by New Jersey as “Fireman of the Year” for his heroic action in saving the life of William Kennedy.

  Placente is well known around the township for his strong expression of patriotism, often draped in red, white and blue and carrying an American flag during Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances. Some refer to him as “Mr. Patriot.”

  “I have had one of the lives a person could possibly hope for,” Placente said. “If I had to do it over again there would be no changes. I have had a great run. Thank you, all my friends and God Bless America!”

Parade Grand Marshall Joseph “Mr. Patriot” Placente proudly donned his red, white and blue attire and “Old Glory” as he prepared for the start of this year’s parade. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)

  As always parade spectators prepared their seating hours before the parade began and many were in costume to watch the event. Dshawn Burgos, of Toms River, Elisabeth Hull of Beachwood and Megan Brennan were costumed as, respectively, a gangster, Wednesday from the Addams Family and Little Red Riding Hood as they prepared for a busy night working at Dunkin Donuts inside the Toms River Library.

  Nick Bernstein and Amanda Row of Toms River were seated around 4:15 p.m. for the parade right next to the parade stand for a front street view. “He was supposed to be dressed as the Joker,” Row said disappointed. She was dressed as the comic book villain’s girlfriend Harley Quinn.

  “This is our second year to come out for this,” Bernstein said.

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  Down the street were James Pearce and Alexandria Davila of Barnegat who were enjoying a few slices of pizza from Capone’s prior to the start of the parade. They sat on a public bench. “It’s our first time to see the parade together,” said Davila, who was sporting devil horns.

  Casey Sugrue, 16, of Toms River captured the attention of her fellow spectators as she sat waiting for the parade to begin. Costumed in face paint which extended to her arms with a skull-like grimace and rhinestones on her face she appeared quite ready for a night of fright.

Photo by Bob Vosseller

  “It took three hours to apply the makeup and the rhinestones. I saw the makeup online and wanted to do something with the rhinestones. I combined it with a mermaid look. I laid out where the rhinestones would be applied in a drawing.”

  “I lost one of my costume contact lenses unfortunately,” she said. The contact lens made her left eye an eerie milky white in sharp contrast to her right eye’s hazel color.

  Her father William Sugrue could not have been prouder of her artistic ability. “We come out to this every year. My other daughter is in the Toms River High School North Marching band and we will be watching for her. We sat at this same spot last year.”

  Some families just went bananas over the parade but none more then Shannon and Tim Ward of Toms River who dressed as yellow fruit while their 11-month old daughter, Silver, wore a monkey costume.

  Both parents had previously marched in the parade as members of high school bands but “this is our first time to spend Halloween as a family and we hope this will become a family tradition,” Shannon Ward said.

  Perhaps the most unique costumed offering was Mila Triolo, 4, of Beachwood who was dressed as Ocean County’s very own celebrity, Sondra Fortunato, who is well known for her decorated vehicle filled with signs and newspaper clippings noting her various titles and her ballroom gown and tiara.

Sondra Fortunato aka Miss Liberty (Photo by Bob Vosseller)

  Mila’s mom Jenna Pasquariello said, “we’ve done this parade since she was born and we thought it would be cool to decorate the small car we bought her for her birthday and make it into a miniature Sondra car. Sondra is famous and we hope to meet her at some point during the parade.”

  While it is unknown if that meeting took place, Fortunato was made aware of her pint-sized replica and was extremely flattered. “They say the best form of flattery is imitation,” Fortunato said moments before setting out along the parade route to once again ride down Main Street.

Not everyone got to watch the parade but Dshown Burgos, Toms River, left, Elisabeth Hull, Beachwood and Megan Brennan, Manchester at least got to have some Halloween fun as they worked at the Washington Street Dunkin Donuts as the parade went by. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)

  This parade marked Thomas Kelaher’s last in his role as township mayor. He recalled coming to it for the first time in 1963. “My wife Carol was the first person to ride in an illuminated float in the 1930s.”

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  The float had been created by her family who owned JW Finley Heating and Cooling Service since the 1920s. “This is a great parade,” Kelaher said.

The Ward family went bananas over this year’s parade. Shannon, Tim Ward and their 11-month old daughter Silver were ready found the Halloween parade quite appealing. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)