St. Patrick's Day Parade Will Return In West Orange For 2022

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The annual West Orange St. Patrick's Day Parade will return for 2022, organizers announced Thursday.

The parade – now in its 69th year – will take place Sunday, March 13 at 12:15 p.m. at the corners of Mt. Pleasant Avenue and Main Street.

Organizers previously attempted to honor a West Orange resident, Mellen Phillips Dangler as the parade’s grand marshal in 2020. But the coronavirus pandemic sidelined those plans … until now.

According to the parade committee:

“In 2020, the parade committee proudly selected Mellen Phillips Dangler as the 2020 grand marshal. However, when the pandemic struck our nation, the parade was postponed until large gatherings were safe again. Well, it has been two long years, but we are back, and Mel – as she is fondly known – will finally march up Main Street!”

The committee gave the following background about Dangler:

“Mel was born and raised in West Orange and where she continues to reside with her husband Darren and their children, Kristen, Breann, Morgan and DJ. Mel and Darren are the proprietors of Dangler Funeral Home in West Orange and the Lewis and Carey Funeral Home in Boonton. She has volunteered countless hours to her children’s schools, church and has raised significant financial support for civic and charitable organizations including the Make A Wish, the West Orange Police Athletic League, the Lizze Chern Foundation, the Police Unity Tour and the Family Reach Foundation. Mel is well deserving of this honor and truly embodies the parade's core values of ‘Family, Faith and Tradition.’”

The 2022 deputy grand marshals are John DeMars, Bobby Lamb and Robert Swenson, who are all “dedicated to their involvement in their Irish and civic community organizations,” organizers said.

Learn more about each honoree or the 2022 parade here.

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