Somerville St. Patrick's Day Parade 2023 Kicks Off Sunday

SOMERVILLE, NJ — Somerville's Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade returns to march down main street on Sunday.

The 30th annual parade will kick off on Sunday, March 12 at 1:30 p.m. with Ed Murphy serving as the 2023 Parade Grand Marshal.

Born in Co Westmeath, Ireland in 1934. Murphy now resides in the Griggstown area of Belle Mead with his family. He served in the United States Army with the 31st Infantry, 7th Division in Korea along the 38th Parallel for 16 months. When he returned from Service, he went back to working in construction as a mason and boilermaker, which lasted 40 years until he retired.

The free, family-friendly event parade will feature a variety of local marchers including those from fire departments, Girl Scout troops, Boy Scout troops, American Legions, rescue squads, political officials and more.

The first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade was held in Somerville in 1984 with the original parade route starting at Duke Island Park before heading to downtown Somerville. In 1991, the route changed to marching down Somerville’s Main Street.

Over the years there has been a surge in popularity with attendance jumping from 15,000 to 20,000 at the parade.

Along with the parade, a Grand Marshal Celebration in Honor of Murphy will be held Friday, March 10, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Columbus Club, 495 E. Main St., Somerville. The event will feature the Willie Lynch Band. $38 per person donation. Click here to sign up.

For more information about the Somerville Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, visit somervillesaintpatricksparade.com.

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