An Introduction to the Seaside Heights' Parade

A group of Ocean County Irish Americans started the Seaside Heights St. Patrick's Day parade in 1984. They had a few simple goals in mind – to have the most entertaining and best organized St. Paddy's day parade in NJ. No one of course could have predicted how well they would do until the parade was held. Over 50,000 people showed up that first time to see how they did!

The first organizers must have done something right. This parade this year is the 25th anniversary and it has this long official name: The 2009 Ocean County Saint Patrick's Day Parade. The budget has increased more than ten times its original $3000 cost and the parade now draws 70,000 + people. Yet the organizers still hold true to the original intent of the folks that started the event – try to have the best parade in NJ.

The Seaside Heights' parade is scheduled for Saturday March 14, with a rain date of March 15^th. Some people see the day and think – this parade is being held on the wrong day! The timing is an accommodation for the popular St. Paddy's day parade in New York city. Despite the Seaside Parade being a very popular event, New York City is less than a two hour drive from Seaside. The organizers are well aware of the fact they would have a difficult time competing with the much larger NYC event.

The parade has grown large enough that it is now staged in Seaside Park, which is located just south of Seaside Heights. Marchers begin at the intersection of Porter Ave and Boulevard, proceeds north up Boulevard, pass the reviewing stand at Sheridan and Boulevard, and complete their route at Heiring Ave. The parade begins at noon and ends at 1:30.

There will be marching bands, bagpipers, floats, dancers, Leprechauns and more. A new twist this year will be the post-parade bagpiper march. The bagpipers will all assemble as soon as the main parade is finished and march north to south down the boardwalk. If you like bagpipers you will surely want to catch this second parade.

From North or South Jersey:

Garden State Parkway Exit 82 eastbound. Take Route 37 east. Cross the Barnegat Bay. Follow the signs into Seaside Heights.

From Philadelphia:
Route 70 east to Route 37 east at Lakehurst. Take Route 37 east. Cross the Barnegat Bay. Follow the signs into Seaside Heights.

The parade serves as the official kick off of the tourism season for the local beach community. Seaside Heights features a large commercial boardwalk and there are plenty of places to eat and enjoy a few drinks. Many merchants in and around town will be opening for the first time in 2009.

Sure it will be too cold to go swimming but there is still plenty to do in and around Seaside Heights!

Traditional Irish Mass - Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Boulevard and Grant Ave., 10:00A.M.

Island Beach State Park – A 10 mile stretch of protected barrier beach, from the ocean shore to the waters of the Barnegat Bay. This park is a rarity for the northeastern US, as there are few large tracts of undeveloped barrier island. There are a number of hiking trails and you can walk to the beach and to the ocean from many parking areas along the central road that runs most of the length of the park.

Toms River – Just over the bridge from Seaside Heights. There are a lot of businesses, and places to eat, along the stretch of Route 37 that connects Seaside with the NJ Parkway. If there is something you can't find in Seaside Heights, Toms River is the place to find it.

Lavallette and Ortley Beach – Just north of Seaside Heights. Still highly developed but not nearly as commercial as Seaside Heights. You can stroll the boardwalks along the ocean without seeing any rides, food stands, or arcades. Also visit parks along Barnegat Bay or do some shopping in the Lavallette business district. There are a variety of shops found along Route 35, which is the continuation of Seaside Heights' Boulevard.

Seaside Park – Just south of Seaside. Quieter, more expensive properties and less commercial development than Seaside. A nice place to take a stroll along a boardwalk that has no commercial development.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.