It's almost time to get your green on because St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Central Jersey are just a few weeks away.
Clinton, Somerville, South Amboy, Union Township and Woodbridge will host St. Patrick's Day parades this year.
The Union County St. Patrick's Day Parade in Union Township is scheduled for March 11. Clinton, Somerville and Woodbridge have scheduled parades on March 12, and South Amboy's parade will be the following weekend on March 19.
In addition, Edison has scheduled a St. Patrick's Day block party on March 11.
Union Township
The annual Union County St. Patrick’s Day parade is scheduled to step off at 1 p.m. March 11 from Commerce and Morris avenues in Union Township, and proceed east on Morris Avenue to Stuyvesant Avenue, then south on Stuyvesant Avenue, ending at Roosevelt Avenue.
State Sen. Joseph Cryan is this year's grand marshal. Some other streets in the area will be closed to traffic.
Edison
A St. Patrick's Day block party is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. March 11 at 922 Amboy Ave., between Waltuma and Pleasant avenues.
The event will feature bagpipes by Chris Finnegan, Irish Dancing by the Fitzgerald School of Irish Dance and Irish Heritage Dance Company, a performance by The Celtic Rebels Band, a beer garden by Elixir, as well as Irish food.
Somerville
The annual Somerville parade will kick off at 1 p.m. March 12 along Main Street.
This year's grand marshal is Ed Murphy, 88, a native of County Westmeath, Ireland, who grew up as a farmer's son before coming to the U.S. in 1954 at age 20 where he worked in construction in Princeton before being drafted into the U.S. Army.
Murphy served with the 31st Infantry, 7th Division in Korea for 16 months and then returned to work in construction as a mason and boilermaker for 40 years before retiring. He and his wife Jennie raised their three children in Griggstown.
Murphy is a longtime member of the Somerset County Ancient Order of Hibernians Saint Patrick Division 1 and organized the annual Ancient Order of Hibernians Dinner Dance for more than 10 years and assisted with the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive and Easter Food Drive.
Woodbridge
The 49th annual Woodbridge St. Patrick Day parade, presented by the American Irish Association of Woodbridge, starts at 1:30 p.m. March 12 from Woodbridge High School and marches along Main Street to Town Hall.
Prior to the parade, the presentation of proclamations to the St Patrick's Day honorees and the raising of the national flag of Ireland will be held at 9 a.m. at Woodbridge Town Hall.
This year's parade is being chaired by Ben Campbell and co-chaired by Sean Daly, who will serve as the parade chair for 2024. Kenneth Michael Egan is this year's grand marshal. Jim McFadden is this year's Irish Man of the Year and Mary White-Natale is this year's Irish Woman of the Year.
The parade will travel from Woodbridge High School to Freeman Street, Linden and Amboy avenues and Route 35 to Main Street, where it will end at Town Hall.
More than 80 marching units are scheduled to participate including Irish Pipe Bands and Step Dancers, Irish-themed floats and displays, marching bands from Woodbridge High School, Colonia High School and John F. Kennedy Memorial High School, representatives from the Woodbridge police and fire departments, first aid and emergency response squads, CERT team and members of the Woodbridge education community, scouting organizations, civic, sports and neighborhood associations.
Clinton
The Clinton St. Patrick's Day parade, hosted by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Hunterdon County, N.J., will kick off at 3 p.m. March 12 along Main Street. The hour-long parade will be followed by an after parade at the Red Mill, 56 Main St., Clinton.
South Amboy
The South Amboy St. Patrick's Day parade, which started in 1976, will kick off at 2 p.m. March 19 from South Pine Street and travel along Bordentown Avenue to Broadway where the parade will end at the reviewing stand.
This year’s parade features 23 bands, including eight bagpipe bands, a Mummers band from Philadelphia and a Spanish band.
This year’s grand marshal is South Amboy resident Mary Porcello, who has spent several years as the volunteer food bank coordinator at the First Presbyterian Church in the city, according to the website. Porcello is a past recipient of the New Jersey State Governor’s Award for her record of service, leadership and commitment to the residents of her community.
Msgr. John Gordon, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Carteret, will serve as deputy grand marshal.
Contributing: Staff Writer Susan Loyer
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
