St. Patrick's Day Parade Fills Seaside Heights With Smiles: Photos

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — The Ocean County St. Patrick's Day Parade filled the Boulevard in Seaside Heights with lots of green-clad celebrants on Saturday, as the parade finally marched for the first time in two years.

The parade, which was canceled in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, was postponed in March when thunderstorms threatened. Saturday brought a sunny day that welcomed the marchers and spectators alike for more than 90 minutes of bagpipes, first responders and other groups celebrating everything Irish.

John F. Lightbody, chief of the East Dover Fire Company, was grand marshal for the parade and fire companies from around Toms River, along with Point Pleasant, Lavallette, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park and others sent engines and other vehicles. New Jersey State Police and Toms River police also participated.

More than a dozen pipes and drums groups delighted the spectators with bagpipe music (you can see them in the video below) and high school marching bands performed as well.

Irish heritage organizations, Cub Scouts, and the Central Regional JROTC joined the celebration, as did veterans groups and an organization of Revolutionary War and Civil War reenactors, who paused to fire replica muskets and reload.

See the photo gallery above and the bagpipers below. The video also can be seen at this link.

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