Toms River Scarecrow Walk Features 50 Displays, Offers $400 Prize Pool

Downtown Toms River comes alive with fun figures as the annual Scarecrow Walk fills Washington and Main Streets from October 10-31. This fall tradition, run by the Business Improvement District (BID), turns the streets into a showcase of creative displays.

Two cash prizes are up for grabs for the best displays. The People's Choice and Judge's Choice winners will each get $200, with one creator potentially winning both prizes. You can vote at any participating store or the Ocean County Library's Toms River Branch - just look for the event signs.

Want to put up your own scarecrow? Register for free before October 6. Previous walks have shown everything from spooky characters to friendly figures made from old clothes and fall decorations.

The walk starts off a month full of events. Along with the Harvest Arts Festival and the Toms River Fire Company #1 Halloween Parade, October is packed with activities that help local businesses.

Everyone gets one vote to pick their favorite. Just write your name and email on the voting slip to make your choice count. Look for special window signs showing where you can vote around town.

Walk down two busy streets to see all the scarecrows. Check out the creative displays while visiting local shops. Stop by the Ocean County Library or The Shops @53 Main to vote.

Each year brings more people to this fall event. What began as a simple idea to get more people downtown now attracts visitors from all over the area.

Store owners see more customers coming in. With displays staying up for three weeks, more people stop to look in shop windows. It's exactly what BID hoped for to help local businesses grow.

Visit the downtown website to stay informed. They share all the details about next year's contest and upcoming seasonal events.