Keven McCreary Is Woodbridge Parade's Irishman Of The Year

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Keven McCreary is Irishman of the Year for the American-Irish Association of Woodbridge’s St. Patrick's Day parade, which will be Sunday.

You may recognize McCreary (or not) because he also plays the role of Santa Claus for the Woodbridge Christmas parade, and many other seasonal events.

This year’s Woodbridge St. Patrick's parade is March 8, stepping off at 1:30 p.m. It starts at Woodbridge High School.Marches down Freeman St, to Linden Ave, to Green St, to Amboy Ave, to Main Street and ends at Town Hall.

McCreary is currently financial secretary for the Woodbridge Exempt Firemen’s Association and was a volunteer firefighter with the Avenel Fire Department for nine years. He is employed part-time by the Woodbridge Township Recreation Department, where he provides services at the Cypress Center and Sewaren Boat Launch.

McCreary is very involved with the Woodbridge American-Irish Association and served as parade chair in the past. He volunteered his time with Tooling Around Town and with Eddie and the Rampers helping to build handicap-accessible ramps. In addition, he helps with putting up the Christmas trees at St. James Church. Keven also plays Santa for David’s Touch Foundation delivering toys to area hospitals. He lives in Avenel with his wife, Marge, and their son Keven.

The 2026 Woodbridge parade chair is Jason Kost.

"Our parade committee has worked tirelessly for months to bring this parade to life," Kost said this week. "I am proud to lead an effort that celebrates our Irish heritage and provides entertainment for the entire community. The parade is a longstanding staple in Woodbridge Township’s history."