Hoboken’s St. Patrick’s Day parade will have thousands of onlookers seeing green on Saturday, March 7 in celebration of the man who drove the snakes from the Emerald Isle. With piper and marching bands stepping down Washington Street beginning at 1 p.m., the one-hour parade struts through Hoboken, starting at 14th street and ending in front of City Hall.
“This is our 23rd year,” said parade committee member Bill Coughlin, “and the parade promises to be bigger and better than ever.”
The Parade Committee was first formed as the Helen Cunning and Friends committee in 1986 at the Shannon Lounge, 106 First St. in Hoboken. Although the committee voted to change its name after a number of years, they still organized one of the area’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parades.
Drum roll, please…
This year’s grand marshal of the parade is Marie Wall, owner of the Shannon Lounge in Hoboken. Marie has been involved in the Hoboken community ever since her mother, Joan, opened the establishment back in 1956. Joan was the first grand marshal of the parade, as well as a founding member of the parade committee, and this year her daughter brings the parade full circle.
“We are very proud of this year’s honorees whose families have provided over 150 years of combined service to our community,” said founder Helen Cunning.
In addition to honoring Marie and the Wall legacy, Sgt. Thomas Kennedy Jr. of the Hoboken Police Department was named Irishman of the Year, and Edward “Roy” Huelbig will receive the Committee’s Community Service Award.
What to expect
Including a total of 16 bands from the area, the Port Authority of NY and NJ Pipe Band will lead the parade, followed by the Quaker City String Band made up of a variety of instruments like strings, bells, woodwinds, accordions, keyboard and percussion.
The Cycling Murrays of Cambridge, Mass. will be entertaining the crowds with a juggling act while riding down the avenue on unicycles. The family of five travel throughout the East Coast, performing their act on the weekends, proving the family that juggles together stays together.
The Cork County Pipers, Bergen County Firefighters Pipe Band, and the Newark Firefighters Pipe Bands will also take part, in addition to both the Hoboken and Weehawken High School marching bands.
Drum corps from all around the tri-state area are scheduled to perform at this year’s festivities, including the Fusion Corp. Drum and Bugle of Waterford, N.Y., the Harmony Senior Drum Corp., and the Spirit of Liberty.
Along with the musicians and merrymakers, 30 girls from the Hoboken Brownie Girl Scout troop will march in the parade, hopefully selling boxes of Girl Scout cookies, in addition to the Hoboken Historical Museum, the Church of Hoboken, and the Hoboken Dog Association.
For more information on the parade, visit www.hobokensaintpatricksparade.org.
Sean Allocca can be reached at current@hudsonreporter.com.