Totowa has three big public gatherings between Sunday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Dec. 4, and all three use Totowa Road. The Turkey Trot's early-exit parking lots are at 754 and 785 Totowa Road. The Tri-Town Christmas Parade turns off Hillery Street onto Totowa Road on its way to the finish. The tree lighting is at the Municipal Building, 537 Totowa Road at Cherba Place.
The two November events also have a collection built into them. The race is collecting frozen turkeys, every parade entry has to bring a new toy, and the fire department's yearly fund drive letters are already in Totowa mailboxes. For most of these 13 days, the borough's holiday calendar doubles as a donation drive.
| Date | Event | Where | Built-in giving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Nov. 22, 10 a.m. | 8th Annual Turkey Trot 5K and 1-mile fun run | 1 Campus Road | Frozen turkeys for OASIS |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 5 p.m. | Tri-Town Christmas Parade | Ends at Union Boulevard and Crews Street | $20-minimum unwrapped toy per parade entry |
| Fri., Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m. | Tree Lighting Ceremony | Municipal Building, 537 Totowa Road | None |
Nov. 22: Where You Park Decides When You Leave
The Mayor and Council and the Board of Recreation are holding the 8th Annual Turkey Trot on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 10 a.m. The RunSignup race page lists the location as 1 Campus Road and offers a USATF-certified 5K plus a family-friendly 1-mile fun run.
Two numbers on that page matter before race weekend. The in-person 5K costs $35, and the price goes up after 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, the night before the race. A virtual 5K costs $30 and stays open until 10 a.m. on race day.
The race has grown into a crowd. Its fourth running in 2022 drew more than 1,000 people, according to TAPinto. In 2024, TAPinto reported more than 1,500 participants. With that many cars arriving at once, the organizers have split this year's parking into two groups. Your lot decides when you can drive away.
The 2026 parking page lists these lots, which let you leave without crossing the course:
- Totowa Community Pool, 11 Colonial Court
- 785 Totowa Road, next to the Community Pool
- The Barnyard, 754 Totowa Road
- Capezio, One Capezio Drive
The lots near the start and finish, including BAE Systems at 100 Campus Road, come with a condition. Cars parked there stay put until the last walker finishes and the roads reopen, which the organizers estimate at about 11:30 a.m. They add that the time can change depending on when the final participant comes in.
If you have to be somewhere by late morning, say a family Thanksgiving prep run or a shift, park on Totowa Road. If you plan to stay for the whole event, the Campus Road lots put you closest to the finish.
Where the Frozen Turkeys Go
The borough's notice says frozen turkeys will be collected at the race for OASIS – A Haven for Women and Children. The notice also links sponsorship and donation information for anyone who wants to give beyond a turkey.
OASIS is at 59 Mill Street in Paterson, a short drive from the race. The nonprofit describes its work as supporting women and children with hot meals, emergency food, clothing, social support and educational programs.
The 2024 race collected more than 120 turkeys for OASIS, according to TAPinto's recap. Set that against the same year's turnout of more than 1,500 participants and there is plenty of room for more turkeys in 2026. Six days later, the parade runs its own collection.
Nov. 28: Most of the Parade Happens Elsewhere, and Totowa Gets the Finish
The Tri-Town Christmas Parade is organized by the Little Falls, West Paterson and Totowa fire departments, TAPinto reported on Oct. 26. It steps off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28. The organizers' parade page puts registration and staging at Passaic Valley High School, 100 E. Main Street in Little Falls, from 1 to 4 p.m. Bands must arrive by 3 p.m., and the parade "begins at 5pm sharp."
Totowa comes at the end of the route. The floats and fire apparatus first go down Main Street, then Maple Street and Paterson Avenue into Woodland Park. There they loop along McBride Avenue, Dowling Parkway, Wallace Lane, Hromiak Terrace, Vetrone Drive and Browertown Road before coming back to McBride. They enter Totowa on Hillery Street, go up Totowa Road, turn left onto Union Boulevard and finish at Crews Street.
Because Totowa is last, the parade reaches it well after the 5 p.m. start in Little Falls. A sidewalk spot on Totowa Road or near the Union Boulevard finish means a later, darker wait than in Little Falls. It also puts you at the point where the whole parade arrives and stops.
Last year's parade, held Nov. 29, 2025, had illuminated vehicles from several fire departments, local businesses and community groups, according to TAPinto. Floats featured the Peanuts gang, the Grinch and the Cat in the Hat, plus a DeLorean inspired by Back to the Future. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived last on a North Pole-themed float.
The toy drive happens before the parade starts. Every participating applicant must bring a new, unwrapped toy worth at least $20, collected at check-in and donated to children in need. Groups that want to enter a float or vehicle have to submit the form by Nov. 20, so a local business or club thinking about it has about a week after this post goes up. All apparatus must be decorated, and no alcohol is allowed during the event. The same page links float sponsor and donor sponsor details through the Totowa Fire Department's website.
The Fire Department Behind the Parade Is Asking for Its Own Support
One of the three departments that put the parade on is raising money right now. The borough says the Totowa Fire Department has started its yearly Fund Drive, with letters mailed to residents and business owners. The borough also posted the letter online in English and Spanish. The letter includes QR codes for donating by Venmo and PayPal, along with information on joining the volunteer fire department.
That makes three asks in a row. The turkey goes to OASIS on Nov. 22, and the toy goes to children in need on Nov. 28. The fund drive letter, if it is still on your counter, goes to the volunteers who drive the decorated trucks up Totowa Road that night.
Dec. 4: The Tree Lighting Brings It Back to 537 Totowa Road
The last event takes place at the borough's own address. The Totowa Public Schools calendar lists the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Municipal Building on Friday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 p.m. The Municipal Complex is at 537 Totowa Road at Cherba Place.
The tree lighting draws a crowd too. In 2024, TAPinto reported that hundreds gathered outside the Municipal Building for carols and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus. It is a Friday evening right after the dinner hour, six days after the parade.
If you have questions about the streets these events run along, or about homes near Totowa Road and how that part of the borough is selling right now, reach out to Joseph D Charles Jr. We can talk it through whenever it suits you, after the Turkey Trot or before the tree lighting.
