The Harvest Arts Festival will be held for the eighth year and will be showcased in downtown Toms River on Oct. 20.
This event will run from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no admission fee and all public parking throughout the downtown is free.
The Harvest Arts Festival is organized by the nonprofit Business Improvement District.
“The Harvest Arts Festival brings people downtown and reminds residents of how beautiful a place downtown is. It also gives our businesses the opportunity to showcase their services,” said Alizar Zorojew, executive director of the Business Improvement District.
Kim Dippolito, the marketing director for the Business Improvement District, said the festival will have food trucks, merchandise vendors, live entertainment, a beer and wine garden that will be sponsored by the Toms River Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, free games and pumpkin painting.
“The event has drawn a great response from the community. The schools are involved as volunteers and we have a whole group of local resident volunteers. Without their presence, the Business Improvement District could not hold our festival,” Zorojew said.
According to Dippolito, 50 vendors will be on hand. She also said the Toms River Artist Community (TRAC) has been involved with the festival since the beginning.
“To have TRAC involved as a partner is huge. Artists involved with the festival do not just come from that organization. The artists also come from the Toms River community as well,” Zorojew said.
Preparing for the festival is a year-round task for Dippolito and Zorojew.
“With this event the Business Improvement District hopes to create a family friendly event that highlights all that is going on in downtown Toms River,” Dippolito said.
Live music will be preformed by XL Jazz Band, ShoreShot x Ewald and Katfish Lucy.
“I am excited for the Harvest Arts Festival. Toms River does the fall season right.,” Zorojew said.
