Celebrate with Morristown’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade
St. Patrick’s Day is almost here and whether you’re Irish or not, you are sure to have a blast at Morristown’s Annual Parade taking place on Saturday, March 10th. Join the town, including fire departments, police officers, school groups, and more, in this joyous celebration of culture and good times. The Parade is set to begin at the Morristown Municipal Building on South Street at 12pm, but make sure you get to town early to find parking and enjoy pre-parade entertainment around the Green starting at 10:30am.
The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the United Sates occurred in 1780 after the long, harsh winter from 1779 to 1780. George Washington wanted to recognize the support of his many Irish militiamen by giving them the day off. This allowed for the first St. Patrick’s Day parade right here in Morris County (Jockey Hallow, Morristown to be exact!)
Flash forward to modern times and in 1979, thanks to the Irish American Association of Northwest Jersey (IAANJ), the first official modern day Morris County St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in Wharton, NJ. In 1990, the Parade grew too large for Wharton’s Main Street and in 1991, the annual Morris County Parade took place in Morristown for the first time. Thousands of spectators showed up to watch the 3,000 marchers, 13 bands, and several floats and fire companies.
In 2006, the parade grew large enough to call for a new marching route. They extended the Parade by three blocks as marchers now went around the Green instead of through it. The Parade continues to grow in size as the years go by and has donated close to $400,000 to local charities to keep with its mission of a Non-Profit organization. They also voluntarily donated to the Town of Morristown to keep the parade from costing taxpayers anything.
This year’s Grand Marshall, John Murphy, was born and raised in Morris County. He grew up in a section of Morristown known as Little Dublin and was the oldest of seven. Both of his parents came to New York from Ireland, which is where John’s passion for the culture originated. John is a big part of the community where he has volunteered with the Morris Township Volunteer Fire Department, couched youth football, served on the zoning board for Morris Township, held the position of Mayor in 1996 and 1997, was elected to the Morris County Freeholder Board, and more!
The Parade is rain or shine, so make sure to check the weather before arriving. Don’t forget to come grab a bite at The Committed Pig while you’re in town!