Full Notification

Halloween traffic and safety advisory  

The City of Hoboken, the Hoboken Police Department (HPD), and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) are preparing for Halloween and advising residents and visitors of anticipated traffic and congestion related to the annual Ragamuffin Parade, trick-or-treating activities, and other community celebrations. 

The HPD anticipates heavy traffic within, entering, and exiting Hoboken on Halloween afternoon and evening, particularly north of 11th Street and east of Willow Avenue. Drivers are strongly encouraged to leave their cars at home and take public transit or consider driving on routes west of Willow Avenue.  

Those who must drive should leave extra time and prepare for road closures, detours, and heavy pedestrian traffic.  Remember to use a designated driver. The HPD maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding driving while intoxicated. Violators will be fully prosecuted. Drivers should also reduce their speed, be alert for trick-or-treaters, turn on headlights, and stop at all crosswalks.  

Trick-or-treaters, and other revelers, are reminded to walk only on sidewalks, cross streets only in crosswalks, and wear reflective clothing and costumes in the evening hours. HPD and OEM will close roads to vehicular traffic, if and when conditions become unsafe. 

NJ Transit buses will run on an alternate route on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. During this time, northbound buses will operate on Clinton Street, and southbound buses will operate on Willow Avenue. 

Ragamuffin Parade reminder 

The annual City of Hoboken Ragamuffin Parade is scheduled for Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2:30 p.m. Lineup will begin at 2 p.m., on Washington Street, between 10th and 11th Streets.  

The parade, which features a handful of festively frightening floats this year, will head south on Washington Street to Fifth Street, where participants can stop by the HI-CHEW Mystery Manor! The Mystery Manor, featuring FrankenChewbie, Mystery Flavor chews, and plenty of Halloween surprises, will be on Fifth Street between Washington and Hudson Streets, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

Residents are invited to watch the parade along Washington Street or join in and march the route. This year the City extends a special invitation to well-trained, vaccinated, and licensed four-legged family members to walk the route with their humans. All pets should be leashed. K9 costumes are welcome! 

During the parade, vehicular traffic on Washington Street, and intersecting side streets, will be diverted, on a rolling basis. Fifth Street will be closed between Washington and Hudson Streets from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.