🍀 New Jersey is known for celebrating St. Patrick's Day during the entire month of March

🍀 While there are a lot, here are 20 of the best St. Patty's Day Parades in NJ

🍀 Some parades feature cool after-parties at restaurants and bars


🌨 LATEST: Weather might affect New Jersey St. Patrick's parade schedules. Check here

Now that Valentine’s Day is over, it’s time to put away the pink and red hearts and pull out the green shamrocks.

Anyone whose anyone knows that St. Patrick’s Day in New Jersey is not just on March 17. It is a month-long celebration here in the Garden State. No matter your nationality, everyone is Irish in March.

Here is a list of the top 20 St. Patrick’s Day parades in New Jersey:

Nutley St. Patrick's Day Parade
Nutley St. Patrick's Day Parade (Nutley Irish American Association)
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Saturday, March 4

Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Pub Crawl

Hoboken's Irish heritage is alive and well in 2023. For the first time in over a decade, the town will be hosting their St. Patrick's Day festivities. A community St. Patrick's Day float will circle the city allowing kids, families, and residents of all ages to participate in the fun.

Then, it's The Official 2023 LepreCon Pub Crawl has been a favorite among partygoers for years.

The fun starts at 10 a.m. at various venues in Hoboken including Madd Hatter, The Shannon, Mikie Squared, Wicked Wolf, The Ainsworth, The Lola, The Shepherd and The Knucklehead, Grove Station, and more.

An all-access pass costs $19.99+.

The All Access Pass allows you free access to Hoboken’s top-rated bars, access to multiple venues, a St. Paddy’s Crawl wristband, a fully guided digital crawl map, helpful crawl staff, and exclusive drink specials.

Be sure to wear your green!

Nutley Parade

The 43rd annual Nutley parade day will begin with an Investiture Mass at St. Mary’s Church at 10 a.m. The parade lineup will begin at noon at the Holy Family Parking Lot on Brookline Avenue.

Parade step-off begins promptly at 1 p.m. It then heads west to Franklin Avenue, where it turns north through the center of town. The grandstand will be in front of Walker Middle School near the end of the parade route on Chestnut Street.

Burlington County/Mount Holly Parade & Celebration

The only St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Burlington County begins at 1 p.m. in downtown Mount Holly on High Street.

The day will be filled with pipers, Irish bands, Irish dancers, local Irish organizations, Mummers, and more. Immediately following the parade, there will be an after-party at High Street Grill with Irish bands playing all day and into the early evening.

Chris Eannucci / Townsquare Media NJ
Chris Eannucci / Townsquare Media NJ
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Sunday, March 5

Belmar/Lake Como

This is one of the most popular St. Patrick’s Day Parades in New Jersey. This year is a special one because it marks the 50th anniversary of the Belmar/Lake Como St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The festivities kick off at 12:30 p.m. from the western end of Lake Como at 3rd Ave and North Blvd. There will be tons of floats, local organizations, bands, radio stations, and more marching. The parade draws a huge crowd so get there early and set up your spot.

When the parade is over, let the celebration continue at the many area restaurants and bars that will be open and ready to get their Irish on!

The parade is held rain, shine, snow, sleet, etc.

Rutherford St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Hosted by the Rutherford Irish American Association, the parade route takes place downtown at 1 p.m. along Park Avenue starting at Woodland Avenue, going north, then ending at Ames Avenue.

Gloucester City St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The 1 p.m. Gloucester City Parade begins at Martin’s Lake (Baynes Ave and Johnson Blvd) and proceeds down Monmouth. There will be string bands, bagpipes, Irish dancers and bands, local community groups, and more.

Continue the celebration once the parade wraps up. Explore and enjoy Gloucester City’s pubs and restaurants featuring drink specials, Irish cuisine (think corned beef and cabbage), and more entertainment.

St. Patrick's Day Parade 2019 in Morristown (Morristown via Twitter)
St. Patrick's Day Parade 2019 in Morristown (Morristown via Twitter)
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Saturday, March 11

Morristown Parade

The Morristown Parade kicks off at noon from South Street to Atno Avenue. About 20 bands and 50,000 people are expected to be in attendance either in the parade or as spectators.

Union County Parade

The entertainment at the Union County St. Patrick's Day Parade begins at noon. The parade steps off at 1 p.m.

Marching units gather at Morris Avenue and along Commerce and Jeanette Avenues. The parade proceeds along Morris Avenue to the Main Reviewing Stand and ends at Roosevelt Avenue. The parade will feature dancers, bagpipers, grand floats, and non-stop music.

Bring your chairs and enjoy delicious festival foods, kids’ rides, activities, and vendors in Union Center on Stuyvesant Avenue.

Ocean County St. Patrick's Day Parade
Ocean County St. Patrick's Day Parade (Facebook)
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Ocean County/Seaside Heights Parade

PARADE HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO APRIL 1

The Ocean County/Seaside Heights Parade is also one of the most popular St. Patty’s Day parades at the Jersey Shore. Last year, more than 75,000 people either watched or took part in marching bands and on floats.

This one begins on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights at noon and goes 1 ¼ miles long starting at the Seaside Park border and ending at Sampson Avenue.

Unlike Belmar/Lake Como, this parade has a rain date which will be Sunday, March 12.
At the end of the parade route, go to Hershey Motel on the Boulevard for an after-party.

North Wildwood St. Patrick's Day Parade
North Wildwood St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2017 (North Wildwood Recreation and Tourism)
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North Wildwood Celebration and Parade

A Catholic Mass service will start the day off at St. Ann Church of Notre Dame La Mer Parish at 10 a.m. The ceremony will begin on the front steps of North Wildwood City Hall, 9th and Atlantic Avenue in North Wildwood starting at noon.

The festive North Wildwood Parade will begin after the ceremony and proceeds north on Atlantic Avenue to Olde NJ Avenue.

Sunday, March 12

Hackettstown Parade

The 14th annual Hackettstown St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off at 3:30 p.m. in downtown Hackettstown.

This Irish-American tradition attracts more than 14,000 visitors—making this parade one of the biggest events in Hackettstown.

There will be bagpipers, Irish dance groups, bands, high school teams, clubs, and so much more marching in the parade.

This event is pet-friendly with a special pet costume contest sponsored by Doggie Styleash. Dress your pets for a chance to win prizes. Judging will be held at Czig Meister Brewing, located at 106 Valentine Street. Pets will then be invited to walk the parade as St. Patrick and Irish Heritage costume contestants after judging.
Restaurants and breweries will also be offering Irish-themed fare.

Asbury Park St. Patrick's Day Parade 2017
Credit: Chris Eannucci, Townsquare Media
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Asbury Park Parade

The Asbury Park Parade is not your ordinary St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Asbury Park festivities will feature rock n’ roll bands, zombies, mummers, and more.

The parade route begins at 1 p.m. at the Asbury Park Boardwalk on Ocean Avenue at 5th Ave and continues towards downtown. The parade ends on Main St. in Municipal Plaza.

The after-party will be held at the Wonder Bar with Big Bang Baby playing. The entrance fee is $15.

Somerville Parade

The Somerville St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins with a pre-show at 1 p.m. with Irish dancing in front of the Review Stand at the corner of Main Street and Doughty Avenue.
Then the parade kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at the corner of Main and Grove Streets downtown and will proceed to West End Avenue near Immaculate Conception Church.

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Hunterdon County’s 7th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The festivities for the Hunterdon County Parade kick off at 3 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Clinton. The parade has over 40 marching bands, including five pipe and drum bands featuring the NJ State Police Pipes and Drums of the Blue and Gold. This is a family-friendly, fun day, and it’s free.

St. Patrick's Day
Erik Cardona, ThinkStock
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Saturday, March 18

Highlands Parade

The colorful festivities at The Highlands Parade beginning at 2 p.m. will highlight Irish culture with nearly 100 marching units including bagpipers, marching bands, Irish dancers, and beautifully decorated floats. The parade will begin at Waterwitch Avenue and extend along Bay Avenue.

Cape May St. Patty’s Plunge and 5K

 

While this is not a parade, per se, the seaside resort city is hosting this annual event at Carney’s, located at 411 Beach Avenue, starting at 11 a.m. to benefit Cape May Food Closet.

For all 18 and under registrants, the cost is $18 for the 5K, Polar Plunge, and $36 for the combination 5K/Polar Plunge.

The cost includes a T-shirt/Race shirt. There will be bananas, water, hot chocolate, and beer available.

The after-party will be held at Carney’s with a live band.

Get ready to freeze your shamrocks off for a great cause!

Natural green dark background. Plant and herb texture. Leafs green young fresh oxalis, shamrock, trefoil close-up. Beautiful background with green clover leaves for Saint Patrick's day
ANGHI
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Atlantic City Parade and Shamrock Roll

Reports of no St. Patrick's Parade in Atlantic City for a fourth year in a row were greatly exaggerated as Mayor Marty Small made it official on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Speaking at a noon press conference, the parade will step off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 12 with a rain date of Saturday, March 18.

The parade will be a shortened 3 mile route from the Irish Pub at St. James Place to Albany Avenue at the Knife and Fork Inn. The parade was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on crowd sizes and again in 2022.

The A-C Shamrock Stoll St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Bar Crawl is still on for 2023. Don that green and go to PubCrawls.com to grab your wristband and share this unforgettable bar crawl experience with family and friends.

After tickets are purchased, you can either bring a physical or digital copy to the crawl. After someone from the pub crawls staff checks your ticket, they will give you a wristband to serve as your new ticket. Be sure to scan the QR code that will be provided. Once the QR code is scanned, you will receive a custom digital bar crawl map. This map will keep you en route all night long.

Your ticket includes free entry to the best venues in town, a wristband, a detailed custom digital bar crawl map, helpful staff, exclusive drink specials, live music at certain venues, and more.

Homemade Corned Beef and Cabbage with Carrots and Potatoes
Photo: bhofack2
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Sunday, March 19

Bayonne Parade

The Bayonne St. Patrick's Day Parade will begin at 1 p.m. on Broadway and 5th Street, proceeding north to 39th Street where we turn west to Avenue C and end at the entrance of Stephen R. Gregg/Bayonne County Park.

Saturday, March 25

Keyport Parade

The 16th annual Keyport St. Patrick’s Day Parade sponsored by the Keyport Fire Department kicks off at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church on Maple Place. The parade then will move over West Fourth Street and continue on Maple Place to Broad Street where it will head down to West Front Street, ending at Fireman’s Park.

Patrick Fore via Unsplash
Patrick Fore via Unsplash
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Ringwood Parade

The Ringwood St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off at 1 p.m. at The Ringwood Plaza. It goes down Skyline Drive, then up to Erskine Road.

So, put on the green, shake your shamrocks, show off your Irish (or not so Irish) pride, practice your Irish brogue, and have fun at these many parades, and more.

Irish eyes are smiling in these towns. Keep scrolling...

The most Irish towns in New Jersey

Using most recent five-year data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, we plotted the municipalities in New Jersey with the highest percentage of residents claiming Irish descent. Take a look!

Jen Ursillo is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at jennifer.ursillo@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

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