For nearly a quarter century, Seaside Heights has hosted an annual clown convention during the third weekend in September.

Hundreds of amateur and professional entertainers capered throughout the borough in floppy shoes and face paint, wielding balloons and kazoos, amusing tourists and networking with other performers.

Clownfest traditionally culminated with a whimsical boardwalk parade that drew between 5,000 and 10,000 spectators.

This year, however, New Jersey won’t be red nose central at summer’s end. Due to financial limitations, Clownfest is relocating to a resort hotel in Lancaster, Pa.

"People are pinging me in the head for taking the event out of Jersey," said organizer Vincent Pagliano, 69, aka Vappo the Clown, of Colts Neck. "But my options were slight. This is an expensive event and by moving it, I cut the financial end of it way down. You go to other places and people get excited for a minute and a half until you tell them about the reality of producing the event."

Seaside Heights Mayor Bill Akers said he’s saddened to lose the fest. The clown convention was the borough’s second largest post-Labor Day event. Only the Columbus Day Parade drew bigger crowds, according to Akers.

"I made a call to Vince and told him I was sad that he wasn’t going to be here," said Akers. "We very much wanted him. I expressed to him that I sincerely would have liked to have kept the event in Seaside Heights. Without going into many details, he just felt that he was unappreciated. That was his comment to me."

Pagliano actually decided to move the fest before Hurricane Sandy hit. He notified officials in a letter dated Oct. 12, according to Nicole Skala, marketing director for the Seaside Heights Business Improvement District.

The change in venue is getting a mixed reaction, according to Pagliano. He said that he scouted other Garden State locations but could not find a town that had the resources to help with funding.

Janet Herkert, aka Rudy the Clown, said that she understands the need for cutbacksbut she’s going to miss performing on the boardwalk.

"It’s like the world is your stage with the ocean in back of you," said Herkert, 62. "When I put on my makeup and I get into my clown stuff, it’s like my personality gets freed. You’re freed out of that little box inside of you. It’s a very artsy thing I guess. I’d just jam stuff in my pockets and see if I could make people laugh on the boardwalk."

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Pagliano said he approached the chamber of commerce in Asbury Park, where the clown convention originated in 1981, but was turned down.

"I spoke at length with Vince," said Jacqueline Pappas, executive director of the Asbury Chamber of Commerce. "Maybe there was a miscommunication because we would have loved to have Clownfest here."

JoAnn Klein-Ihnat, aka Happy the Clown, is embracing the move, even though it’s a 150-mile commute from her home in the Colonia section of Woodbridge to Lancaster.

"Vince wants clowning to grow and the new venue enables us to broaden our horizons and bring people in from other states," said Klein-Ihnat, 67, a Clownfest staffer.

Instead of marching in a Lancaster parade, the clowns will take over a minor league baseball stadium and play a game in costume against a local team, according to Klein-Ihnat.

"Vince comes up with great ideas," said Klein-Ihnat. "We’re going to have a clown wedding in Lancaster. Two clowns are getting married and the ceremony will be in skit form."

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