Mercer County residents will not have to travel far should they wish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
The area once again has three parades marking the annual celebration of the patron saint of Ireland. The festivities start in Hamilton before moving to Trenton and then Robbinsville. Then, of course, there’s St. Patrick’s Day itself, observed on March 17—a Thursday this year.
The Hamilton parade kicks off the area’s St. Patrick’s season the week before the holiday, March 12 at 1 p.m.
The parade begins at the Nottingham Fire House, located at 200 Mercer St., and heads toward Nottingham Way. It takes a right onto Nottingham Way, following the road for a mile before ending at Hoover Avenue.
This year’s grand marshal is Patrick Ryan, the president and CEO of First Bank. His father, Pat Ryan, Sr., served as grand marshal of the parade in 2005.
Hamilton resident Jennifer Conboy is Miss St. Patrick 2016. A senior at Notre Dame High School, Conboy is a member of the National Honor Society, Latin National Honor Society, Model United Nations and the Irish American Club. She is founder and team captain of the school’s organization for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, according to her biography on the parade website. Conboy also enjoys singing and dancing, and has performed in the Notre Dame musical for four years.
For more information, go online to hamiltonparade.com.
The celebration moves to Trenton the next day, Sunday, March 13.
Opening ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. on the steps of St. Anthony’s Chruch on South Olden Avenue, with the parade kicking off at 2 p.m. Cayleigh Rose Keenan, of Titusville, will serve as Miss St. Patrick 2016. The members of Ancient Order of Hibernians Joe Cahill Division 10 are grand marshal.
At press time, the Trenton parade committee was in search of funding to pay for costs associated with the parade. An online campaign in January to raise $10,000 earned just $1,450. For the most up-to-date information, go online facebook.com/TrentonSaintPatricksDayParade.
It’s Robbinsville’s turn the following week, when the Robbinsville Irish Heritage Association will host its 7th St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 19.
The day begins with 10 a.m. Mass at Saint Gregory the Great Roman Catholic Church. The opening ceremony will begin at 12:15 p.m. at the Foxmoor Shopping Center, with the singing of The Star Spangled Banner and the Irish National Anthem. Dignitaries participating will be introduced, as well as the parade’s Grand Marshal and Irish Person of the Year.
This year’s Grand Marshal is the people of Robbinsville BAPS mandir. The 2016 Irish Person of the Year is Michael Langford, one of the founders of the Robbinsville Lacrosse Association.
This year, the parade features a new route.The parade will begin at 1 p.m. at the shopping center, before taking a left onto Washington Boulevard, then right on North Street, then right on Newtown Boulevard to the roundabout and a right on Lake Drive. The parade then will pass the lake on the right and take a left on George Street, then a left on Park Street, then a right on Newtown Boulevard, then a right on Burnet Crescent and a right on Union Street and past the reviewing stand at the intersection of Lake Drive.
An afterparty will be held at St. Greg’s. The St. Greg’s parking lot or behind the buildings across the street from Foxmoor Shopping Center will be the best place to park, parade organizers said. Parade-goers should not park at Foxmoor Shopping Center.
For more information, go online to robbinsvilleirish.com.
