The Original St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Hamilton, New Jersey will be bringing live music and performances to the city this March.
In 1985, Dublin native Desmond Murphy had the idea of honoring the patron saint of Ireland with a parade, and what started as a joint effort between four Irish-American tavern owners turned into a committee dedicated to making sure the show was successful. The original theme of the event was welcoming St. Patrick back to Trenton and has since covered themes such as Irish-American unity and celebrating different aspects of Irish culture.
Businesses and organizations can participate during the event. Companies are welcome to use banner printing to display their names during the festival, or other messages as long as they are preapproved by the parade committee. Candy and other giveaway items are permitted to use during the festival but are required to be given out by hand rather than thrown from floats. All groups have the option of playing appropriate Irish music as part of their float.
The St. Patrick’s Day parade will be held on March 9, and will begin in the afternoon starting at 1:00 pm. The event is free for the public, and both locals and visitors to the town alike are welcome to show their support. The parade will start at the Nottingham Firehouse and will continue down Mercer Street.