The Hoboken Business Alliance has announced that the St. Patrick’s Day celebration will be returning on March 4th for the first time since 2011.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The HBA launched a survey in November asking if residents wanted to see the parade return, with one caveat being that bar owners would not participate in LepreCon, a holiday-themed bar crawl that often overshadowed the cultural celebration.
The parade hasn’t been held since 2011, the 26th year the event was held, with organizers announcing in 2012 it would be cancelled after they could not come to terms with then-Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s administration – who wanted the parade held on a week day.
“While poll results can sometimes be hard to read and interpret, the response to this survey could not have been clearer,” HBA Executive Director Roxanne Earley said in a statement.
“Hoboken residents are excited to have St. Patrick’s Day festivities return to the city, but they also recognize that the impact of past parades, specifically the unsanctioned events that followed that were not in line with the image we want to portray.”
According to Earley, 78 percent of survey respondents indicated that they wanted to see the parade come back.
The citywide celebration on March 4 will begin at noon with a St. Patrick’s Day-themed float departing Jefferson Street turning left onto 15th Street.
The float, led by the Bergen County Firefighters Pipe Band, will head towards Jackson Plaza at Monroe and 7th where New Jersey band The Shots will perform.
The celebration will then proceed to the eastern edge of Church Square Park where a second performance will take place before ending its route outside of the Elks Lodge, for a final performance by The Shots as well as dancers from the Garden Street School of the Performing Arts.
“We are so excited to celebrate the important contributions of Irish immigrants and Irish Americans to the history and culture of the Mile Square City,” Earley added.
“This is just the first step in kicking off a spring and summer full of events that aim to energize our community and show everyone that Hoboken is the place to be for exciting events, the best shopping, and world-class restaurants.”
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla commended the HBA for their recent work and came out in favor of the upcoming event.
“Whether it’s through the upcoming ‘Through the Windows’ Art Walk, the Harvest Festival, the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, or so many other wonderful events, the Hoboken Business Alliance is finding new ways to keep old traditions alive and give local families, as well as visitors, ways to engage with our small business community,” he said.
“This new float is a great way to gather with friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate Irish heritage this March.”
At the 2011 parade, Hoboken police made 34 arrests and issued 296 citations for violations that included public urination and having open containers of alcohol in public, as NBC New York reported.
Editor’s note: The Hoboken Business Alliance amended the use of the word parade on Sunday evening and said that it is more of a celebration of Irish culture.