Toms River Fest is a major festival event held at the campus of Toms River High School North

Toms River High School North

Toms River High School North is a four-year public high school, and was the second high school established in Toms River, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Toms River Regional Schools. The school opened in 1969 when the original high school was found to be too...

 in Toms River Township

Toms River, New Jersey

Toms River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, during the summers of 2005, 2006 and 2008. It was selected by the American Bus Association as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for Group Travel 2006. The festival, originally conceived as an annual event, was not held in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Low Attendance in 2006

The festival attracted over 70,000 people in its first year. For 2006, over 100,000 people were expected to attend each day, however, estimates showed that only 45,000 attended over the four days. Officials blamed the low attendance rate on a dangerous heat wave, which struck the area with near-record temperatures during the four days of the festival. The revenue for the event was $60,000, down substantially from $394,000 in its previous year.

Acts

In 2005, Maroon 5

Maroon 5

Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...

, Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...

, Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken

Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...

, Jesse McCartney

Jesse McCartney

Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...

, Keith Urban

Keith Urban

Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...

, Fuel

Fuel (band)

Fuel is an American rock band formed by guitarist/songwriter Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie in 1989. Originally known as Small the Joy, they changed the group's name to Fuel sometime in 1994...

, Phantom Planet

Phantom Planet

Phantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...

, and others performed.

In 2006, Rihanna

Rihanna

Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...

, Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff

Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...

, Lonestar

Lonestar

Lonestar is an American country music group consisting of Richie McDonald , Michael Britt , Keech Rainwater , Dean Sams , and Michael Hill . McDonald left the band in November 2007 for a solo career before returning in 2011...

, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf

Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...

, KC and the Sunshine Band

KC and the Sunshine Band

KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way ", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give...

 , Martina McBride

Martina McBride

Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....

, Rick Springfield

Rick Springfield

Rick Springfield is an Australian-born singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He was a member of pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971 and then started his solo career with his début single "Speak to the Sky" reaching the top 10 in Australia. In mid-1972, he relocated to the United States...

, Live

Live (band)

Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....

, Alexa Ray Joel

Alexa Ray Joel

Alexa Ray Joel is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She is the daughter and only child of singer-songwriter Billy Joel and supermodel Christie Brinkley....

, and LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...

 performed. Hilary Duff was the most successful act in 2006, selling over ten thousand seats.

In 2008, Daughtry, Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...

, Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne

Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...

, Lifehouse, Live, Collecive Soul, Gavin DeGraw, Push Play, The Lost Trailers, Marie Digby, Day of Fire and children's musician Mr. Ray performed.

Inside Toms River Fest

The festival offers free carnival rides, a large food court, free BMX stunt shows, free fireworks, the Millennium Radio Marketplace, a flea market and area for attendees to learn more about local businesses and services, and concerts inside the Poland Spring Arena, which is located on campus, the Lester Glenn Day Stage, and the Pine Belt Night Stage.

Since there is no parking allowed near the festival, free shuttle services are provided by Wachovia

Wachovia

Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States based on total assets...

 and Toms River Regional Schools at the Toms River schools. Meridian Health sponsored the 2008 transportation program, paying for the diesel fuel for the district's large fleet of school buses.

Toms River Fest 2008

Toms River Fest returned in the Summer of 2008. The official announcement, made May 1, 2008, revealed the headliners to be Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...

 and Daughtry, and that the festival itself would be held for just two days instead of four, August 2–3, 2008. Other artists featured the in lineup include Lifehouse

Lifehouse (band)

Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...

, Live

Live (band)

Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....

, Collective Soul

Collective Soul

Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...

, Push Play

Push Play

Push Play was a pop rock band formed on Long Island, NY. The band consisted of CJ Baran , Steve Scarola , Nick Deturris and Derek Ries . The band had found success without a label by utilizing social networking and selling their albums on iTunes and other online music vendors...

, Gavin DeGraw

Gavin DeGraw

Gavin Shane DeGraw is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" , "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".-Early life:DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg,...

, The Lost Trailers

The Lost Trailers

The Lost Trailers is an American country music band. Established in 2000, the band originally comprised Ryder Lee , Manny Medina , Andrew Nielson , Stokes Nielson , and Jeff Potter...

, and Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne

Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...

.

Other attractions included a "retro arcade" featuring video games and pinball

Pinball

Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...

 machines in the Poland Spring Arena along with local bands performing, inflatable rides, a food court, and the Hell on Wheels BMX Bike Tour.

While attendance numbers for the festival have yet to be released, the official website claims over 15,000 people attended Daughtry's concert on Sunday night.

Attendance on opening day, Saturday, was noticeably lower than the second day of the festival due to severe weather that passed through the Toms River area on Saturday. Sunny skies hovered over the festival with beautiful temperatures and low humidity on the second day, bringing in thousands of patrons.