The Sun’s St Patrick’s Day Parade Retrospective

Asbury Park

The Sun’s St Patrick’s Day Parade Retrospective

Thousands Gather In Asbury Park For Fifth Annual Irish Pride Celebration

By Michelle Gladden

The weather cooperated, lending to a record breaking number of attendees during Sunday’s Asbury Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Set against a landscape of bustling redevelopment along the waterfront and downtown, the parade drew a record number of participants and onlookers.

“Its gets bigger every year and the weather really helped out,” event founder Garrett Giberson Jr said. “I would say about 14,000, if not more attended. It was a sea of people down Cookman Avenue where I was standing.”

The event was the result of year long planning, fundraising and organization.

On the way, there were events that brought the 1.4 square mile community together in celebration of the event, including a Green Dragon Brunch at Taka, Finnegan’s Wake at Cross and Orange, Shamrock n Roll at the Wonder Bar, and the signature Grand Marshal’s Dinner, held this year at Convention Hall.

But nothing set the tone better than the inaugural Grand Marshal Brunch at The Asbury, an event Asbury Park Press’ Tom Donovan said will continue in perpetuity.

“Grand Marshals moving forward will be able to invite their friend, family and colleagues and the Press will foot the bill,” said Donovan, this year’s Grand Marshal. “It’s an elite club I am thrilled to join.”

Donovan, a city resident, said, “Asbury Park is special to me. It’s emotional, it’s everything you can imagine. Over the 10 years I have been here, it has been with an eye toward this city being the best it can be.”

The publisher opted to tip his hat to the late Sam Siciliano, a Press ad man who helped form the Asbury Park sound. He rode the parade route in Siciliano’s cherished custom made ‘Pink Cadillac.’ The back end is a 1960 soft top convertible and the front end is a coupé de ville that Siciliano welded together, Donovan said.

And while by all accounts, the number of participants grew and the number of those who attended multiplied, Asbury Park Deputy Chief Kelso said he would guess several thousand people did attended the event.

“That’s a hard one because most of the crowd was centered around the restaurants and bars in town, [going in and out], said Kelso, whose department was out in full force to manage the event.

Founded in 2013, the celebrates St. Patrick while acknowledging the diversity of the people and culture of Asbury Park. Much thought went into the original concept to make certain that it was all inclusive and unique to Asbury Park, while still incorporating the traditions of a ‘good old fashioned’ parade, Giberson [shown below middle] has said.

The parade, which costs close to $50,000 to produce if not more, is funded entirely through donations.

“We can’t do it without the donations from business people, the personal donations, some from people from outside of Asbury Park,” Giberson said. “It’s because of their generosity that we are able to have such a successful parade. We need everyone and no donation is too small.”

Any proceeds from go toward charitable organizations, which has included Asbury Park Little League, The Center, the Asbury Park Historical Society, Asbury Park Fire Department – Local 384 Charitable Trust, Asbury Park Recreation Committee, various cancer support organizations, and the victims of the Sept. 2016 Orlando mass shooting at Pulse nightclub.

Giberson said there are eight volunteers that work year round, elevating to 25 to 30 on the day of the parade.

“The committee works very hard to make this a successful event,” he said. “It’s a small group that works hard to put this together. Johnny Mac’s has been very generous from the beginning, not only monetarily but he does everything from organizing fundraisers to getting buttons printed. And, Sammy Boyd works hard to coordinate all the entertainment.”

“It was the best one yet,” Mayor John Moor said. “There were more people along Ocean Avenue that I’ve ever seen before. The downtown was packed as usual but this year, the Ocean Avenue crowd was four deep.”

Among the crowd favorites were the signature music floats from the city’s entertainment venues like the Stone Pony Asbury Park Ale House, The Saint, and Johnny Mac’s, the Lakehouse Music Academy’s Pros, and Light of Day float featuring country duo Williams Honor. There was resounding applause for the the return of the Zombies, the NJ Vegfest Asbury Vegan Pop-Up dancing vegetables, Rescue Ridge adoptable pets, Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition bike caravan, Days Ice Cream Kazoo Band, and the Squonk Opera elevated riders.

The day’s top honor went to the Asbury Park Toy Drive float and participants [shown below left]. And, among the most hardworking [and popular] participants was the Monmouth County Police and Fire Pipes and Drums, for which Asbury Park Fire Chief Kevin Keddy is a member. They not only performed during the parade but opened the Grand Marshal’s Brunch and the after party celebration that featured Bobby Bandiera at the Wonder Bar.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade behind the scenes team includes President and Founder Garrett Giberson Jr, Vice President Sammy Boyd, and committee members Eileen Chapman, Judi Yaccarino, founding sponsor John McGillion, The Asbury Park Chambers of Commerce, The Asbury Ushers, and Chris Femiano of Madison Marquette.

The Asbury Park St. Patrick’s Day parade is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization fully funded by donations and sponsorship, fundraising events. For more information, visit their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and GoFundMe pages.