Harness the luck of the Irish this March with a festive parade, pub, shop, and multiple events guaranteed to have you seeing green — for shamrocks, of course!
The Original St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Nottingham Fire House, 200 Mercer Street, Hamilton Square. Saturday, March 12, 12:30 p.m. opening ceremony and 1 p.m. parade start.
Celebrate a callback to tradition by walking the streets in the Original St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a stroll historically recognized originally in Trenton before relocating to its spot in Hamilton more than a decade ago.
This year’s celebration of Ireland’s patron saint also highlights individuals who could not be recognized due to the pandemic’s cancellation of the event.
Vince McKelvey is the chairman and treasurer of the parade committee, where has been helping in some capacity dating back to the first ever Trenton parade.
“We expect a pretty good crowd because of people being inside for two years,” McKelvey said. “It’s a great day for the township and the community of Hamilton.”
Joining the members of the parade committee on the vehicle will be 2020 Grand Marshal Jerry Sheridan and 2020 Miss St. Patrick Winner Nicole Brown, as well as their families, so the two recipients can embark on their rides of honor.
The Trenton Ancient Order of Hibernians Division #1 pipe band members will play at various stops along the way. The committee is also honoring four marshals, Bob Constantini, Tommy Beers, Neal Glactlin, and Bill McClain, for their 35 years of service to the parade.
McKelvey expressed gratitude for anyone who raised or donated money for their efforts, with the chairman making sure to thank parade coordinator Susan McNamara for all of her hard work in organizing the event.
More information: hamiltonparade.com.
Tir na nOg
1324 Hamilton Avenue, Trenton. Open 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday; 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday; noon to 2 a.m. Sunday. Open at noon on March 12 (day of Hamilton Parade) and 9 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
This Irish pub’s charm is always evocative of the country’s culture, so for Todd Faulkner, the owner of Tir na nOg, Ireland’s beloved March holiday can be felt throughout the year.
“We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day every single day,” Faulkner said. On the day of the Hamilton parade, Tir na nOg is opening early and featuring live music.
Continuing that spirit, from 3 to 6 p.m on Sunday, March 20, Tir na nOg will host an “Irish Session” led by Billy O’Neal. Customers are given the ability to sing and play music during the event, which is typically scheduled on the third Sunday of every month.
“Since restrictions have lifted, we’ve been building up a lot of steam with people coming out and listening to it. It was a traditional thing that we had done for quite a while,” Faulkner said.
Tir na nOg also created an Irish Whiskey Ambassador Club in November of 2020, with the initiative a successful result of their reopening efforts during the pandemic.
Patrons can become ambassadors by drinking 32 different Irish Whiskeys over time. According to Faulkner, a total of 91 customers have completed the promotion, leading him to add tiers to the club to match the clientele’s enthusiasm.
With nearly 400 people who signed up, bringing a significant “buzz” to the business with them, Faulkner appreciates how the program has been a refreshing addition to the Trenton pub.
More information: trentontirnanog.com.
Pot of Gold Kids Night Out
Tumbles Of Princeton, 1225 State Road, Princeton North Shopping Center, Montgomery. Friday, March 11, 6 to 9 p.m.
A leprechaun is on the prowl hunting for gold, and only attendees wearing green can save the day in this interactive, tactile adventure throughout the part-fitness gym, part-STEAM programming at Tumbles Princeton.
The night includes access to the open gym, science, arts and crafts, a pot of gold obstacle course, a shamrock hunt, and leprechaun trivia. Children also receive a pizza dinner to keep them fueled for their encounters with the mystical, and mischievous, being. The event is open to potty-trained children ages 3 and up.
Dr. Jade Ko is an educator and the director of Tumbles Princeton, where their “Kids Night Out” events are held monthly, usually accompanied by a holiday theme. Ko said that these opportunities benefit parents as well, because they can go on a date, have dinner, or see a movie during the break, in what she termed as “three hours of freedom.”
For another outing that everyone can enjoy, Tumbles Princeton’s later event is the St. Patrick’s Family Day on Saturday, March 19, which brings together parents and children up to age 12 for additional seasonal activities.
Tickets for either event are available on the Tumbles of Princeton website or via Eventbrite. Pot of Gold night costs $55 per ticket, or $50 for members, and Family Day is $40 per ticket, or $35 for members, plus $5 per adult. Masks are required.
More information: princeton.tumbles.net.
St. Patrick’s Day Party
Joshua Harr Shane Foundation, Mercer Oaks Golf Course, 725 Village Road West, West Windsor. Saturday, March 12, 7 to 11 p.m.
The Joshua Harr Shane Foundation invites guests to their St. Patrick’s Day party in a fundraiser consisting of lively music, an open bar, and a four-course dinner.
Named in honor of Judith Harr Shane’s son, Joshua, who wanted to become a doctor before his passing, the nonprofit supports families in care of those with disabilities or illness. The organization pays for “anything not covered by insurance that the foundation deems necessary,” as Shane explained, with the money going directly to the source whether to cover doctor’s visits, experimental treatment, or even to dedicate spaces in medical facilities.
Joshua Harr Shane Foundation has opened three rooms at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton — the Joshua Harr Shane Stroke Gym and Joshua Harr Shane Patient Rehabilitation Room for Physical Therapy in 2016, as well as the PET/CT Suite at the Cancer Center of New Jersey located within RWJ hospital — with plans in place to redo the eight patient evaluation suites at the Cancer Institute.
At the party, the dinner options start with courses like salad and pasta, while the choices for the main meal are between filet mignon, chicken, and fish. Dessert rounds out the night, as well as different auctions, 50-50 raffles, and giveaways.
“If you attend this party, it is not [like a] typical foundation, you will think you’re at a family or friend’s affair,” Judith Harr Shane said. “We normally have over 200 people for this event, and it sells out immediately.”
Tickets cost $100.
More information: joshuaharrshane.org.
The Cross and Shamrock
1669 Route 33, Hamilton Square. Open Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Sunday.
For almost 37 years, Ann Bauersachs has realized her dream of having her own business through the Cross and Shamrock, a shop featuring Irish gifts and religious items. Through multiple location changes, as well as partnering with a friend, then her late husband, the store is a haven for goods imported from Ireland.
“Both my parents were born in Ireland, so I was raised in a very Irish home,” Bauersachs said. “I always loved my culture and my religion, so we put it all together.”
Customers will find a range of products at the Hamilton retailer, the Cross and Shamrock selling novelty items, clothes, Celtic jewelry and spiritual accessories, as well as a vast collection of other goods.
For St. Patrick’s Day, she said that their food is the real highlight. In time for Easter, there will be Irish Cadbury chocolates that differ from their American counterparts. The seasonal options, as well as their usual imports of biscuits, tea, frozen meat and bread are all a true culinary trip back to Ireland.
Bauersachs has the perfect selection for Irish immigrants desiring that nostalgia.
“When they find out they can get a taste of home here, they’re regulars,” she said.
As a former chairlady herself, Bauersachs is excited for the Hamilton parade — this year, the Cross and Shamrock will be out rejoicing with the local Irish community as national restrictions continue to be lifted.
More information: crossandshamrock.com.
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Those looking to continue their celebrations in other parts of the state can attend New Jersey events and performances such as the ShamRock & Roll 2022 in Asbury Park, the Irish Wake in Seaside Heights, the Real Irish Comedy Tour in Toms River and the Celtic Woman: Postcards from Ireland show in New Brunswick.
Throughout Mercer County, though, residents are feeling lucky, and hopeful, that long-standing traditions for the holiday may finally begin again.
Revelers at a past Joshua Harr Shane Foundation St. Patrick’s Day party. ,
Hamilton St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal Jerry Sheridan.,
