Parade on! Atlantic City, NJ St. Patrick’s Day Parade un-canceled

☘ The parade has been canceled by its committee for a fourth year in a row

☘ The news disappointed the parade's first marshal, Sonny McCullough, who asked some 'Irish friends' for help

☘ McCullough and Mayor Marty Small will announce details Tuesday

There will be a St. Patrick's Day parade in Atlantic City after all.

John Exadaktilos, vice president of the Atlantic City Saint Patrick's Day parade committee told New Jersey 101.5 the parade had been canceled for the fourth year in a row thanks to a combination of financial support and the deteriorating condition of the boardwalk.

Parade committee member Sonny McCullough, a former mayor of Egg Harbor Township and the parade's first marshal in 1986, told New Jersey 101.5 he was disappointed to read the parade had been canceled this year.

"When I saw the social media and news reports I went to some of my Irish friends and said 'look, I've been talking about this for years. Are you willing to help me make sure that traditional parade is back on the boardwalk this year,'" McCullough said.

The response McCullough got was positive if he could get the city's cooperation.

"I picked up the phone, I called the mayor. And I asked him, I said, 'I wanna put the parade on the boardwalk. I'll put the committee together, we'll get participants, we'll get bands,'" McCullough said. "'He said absolutely. Do it.'"

More details Tuesday

McCullough and Mayor Marty Small will make the formal announcement including a date on Tuesday afternoon during a boardwalk news conference.

McCullough said that the route is still being worked out but it will be shorter. It will have to avoid the area of the boardwalk burned by a fire in early February.

The parade, a tradition since 1986, was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19 restrictions.

NJ.com was first to report about the restoration of the parade.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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