The party is over for Ocean County party store forced to close

There are some stores you walk into because you need something.

And then there are stores you walk into because you just like being there. Maybe just to look around. Maybe because it feels like home.

That’s what makes it so sad when a favorite local store closes.

You can replace a product. You can order something online. You can probably find the same thing at a giant chain store for a few bucks less.

But you can’t replace the feeling of walking into a place you’ve been going to for years and knowing exactly where everything is.

That’s what makes the news about a beloved New Jersey party store particularly bittersweet.

Party Fair in Toms River is closing according to nj.com.

Party Fair Toms River via Facebook

The family-run business is being forced out of its longtime location after losing its lease, and it has launched a massive liquidation sale.

The reaction on social media was sad and swift.

Emotional comments like:

“Noooooo!!!! You guys are the best!!!!”

“I can’t believe this!”

“But…where will we get balloons now?”

This isn’t simply a store shutting its doors. It’s a place that has helped people celebrate birthdays, graduations, baby showers, holidays and all the other little occasions that shape the better parts of our lives.

The good news is that this isn’t necessarily goodbye. The owners are looking for a new home for the business.

I sincerely hope they find one.

Shelves filled with colorful party supplies and decorations

Because there’s something special about a family-run store that survives long enough to become part of people’s lives. You don’t realize how much you appreciate those places until you hear they’re disappearing.

In my hometown of Rahway I saw Schatzman's Toy Store close down. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t been there in years. I would have brought my own kids there had I had them before they closed. Seeing it go was seeing your childhood go.

Then there was Sound-A-Rama the record store back when there were things called record stores. Galaxy Diner lasted all the way to the pandemic but then never reopened. Now it’s a marijuana dispensary.

a pumpkin carved to look like a scary face

So while I’ve never been to Party Fair in Toms River, I get it. They’re still open for now with no set date on the closure, so stop in one last time. They’re at 2 Route 37 West.

But if it’s a part of your life, you already know that.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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