3 Years (And A Week) Later: St. Patrick's Day Parade Back In Morris County

MORRISTOWN, NJ — When organizers look back to March 2020, it seems obvious to them that the Morris County St. Patrick's Day Parade couldn't happen. The parade's cancelations, eventual return and the years in between represent a microcosm of living with COVID-19 in the United States — down to the confusion before society ground to a halt.

With the event slated to bring tens of thousands to Morristown on March 14, 2020, the parade committee and town officials held onto hope they could still celebrate. Five days before, the town announced the parade was still on.

Related article: Morris County St. Patrick's Day Parade Returns: Complete Guide

“We want everyone to be on the same page," Mayor Tim Dougherty said in a statement. "Don’t kiss anyone you don’t know. Carry sanitizer if you have it. Wash your hands throughout the day. Take the same precautions you would if you had the flu. And be sure to follow the guidance of local health officials and the CDC."

But after the parade committee consulted with the mayor's office, town officials and health experts, they all knew it couldn't go on. They made the collective decision days later to cancel the parade. As Dougherty said after the cancelation, "there will always be more parades."

That would take a while.

The Morris County St. Patrick's Day Parade endured a long journey throughout the pandemic, with COVID cancelations in 2020 and last year, followed by a weather postponement last week. But the parade — arguably New Jersey's largest for the holiday — is set to return at noon Saturday outside Town Hall.

"It’s kind of a feeling of, we’re back," said Mike Leavy, the parade's publicity director. "This is the first time we as a community, as a group can actually say that and demonstrate that."

Life changed fast in March 2020. Morristown reported its first case on the 13th and its first COVID death on the 24th. Between then, Gov. Phil Murphy closed much of the state and ordered a lockdown.

Parade planning begins around September. So dozens of volunteers spent half a year organizing for the 2020 event, only for COVID to have other plans. The eventual cancelation of 2021's parade felt less surprising, since the world became accustomed to the virus thwarting events.

"The last thing we want to do is be a burden, put people on the spot and jeopardize people," Leavy said of the 2020 cancelation. "So we made the call, which, based on how the world turned out, was the right one."

Organizers do more than put on a well-attended parade. They also help the community, giving about $40,000 to charity annually. When the 2020 parade didn't happen, that left the parade committee with a fair amount of money for public service.

The parade committee partnered with locals businesses to get food for health care workers. In doing so, they revived the parade's energy but in a pandemic-friendly manner.

In 2020, organizers got in car caravans to bring meals to Morristown Medical Center employees. They donned their vehicles with Irish flags as socially distanced bagpipers joined the journey. When they arrived outside the hospital, everyone perked up as they honked their horns, held up signs thanking the workers and delivered meals.

"If you’re going to have a parade during COVID, that’s the parade you want," Leavy said.

In a normal year — if such a thing exists anymore — rain on the parade might lower attendance. Another rainy forecast awaits Morristown on Saturday. But if it's safe to march, the parade will go on.

That's the plan for Saturday: tens of thousands of spectators watching more than 20 bands, scores of Irish step dancers and thousands of marchers return Morristown closer to what it was before the pandemic.

They've been waiting three years for this.

"I never jynx it, but I think we’re going to have a big crowd, because I think people really want this," Leavy said. "People really want to have a day out with their kids, watch some bands and see the Irish step dancers. It’s something to do that we haven’t been able to do."

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