SEASIDE HEIGHTS – The St. Patrick’s Day parade is a fun party marked by loud music, dancing, and other shenanigans. But as much as it’s a celebration of Irish culture and heritage, the crowd was still thoughtful and caring when asked to bow their heads for those no longer with us.
It’s hard to gauge exactly how many people attended when the town is flushed with people, but there was an estimate that it was between 40,000 and 50,000, said Tom King, the president of the parade committee, who is also the drum major for the Shamrock and Thistle Pipe Band.
There were a total of 11 bagpipe bands performing along the parade route, he said. They were joined by the bands from the three Toms River high schools, as well as Central Regional High School in Berkeley and St. Rose High School in Belmar.
“It was fantastic! The weather cooperated. The wind died down and the sun came out,” he noted. This was especially welcome after three years of bad weather.
The Little League was among the many organizations marching in the parade. (Photo courtesy Tom King)
Organizations such as the Little League, Crescent Shriners, and Teamsters made appearances. There was even a flyover by the New Jersey State Police.
About 50 antique cars and nine floats made up a considerable amount of the parade.
However, in the midst of all this celebration, music and camaraderie, there was a time for quiet reflection. A moment of silence was held in remembrance of those recently lost. This included a Newark police officer killed the night before, Detective Joseph Azcona. A 14-year-old is in custody for the murder. Also remembered were the people suffering through the wildfires in California and the hurricane that swept through the southeastern states, particularly North Carolina, where 106 are dead and 25 are missing.
King said to witness a crowd of some 40,000 people together take part in a moment of silence was an emotional and powerful scene.
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