St. Patrick’s Day is a big day for people of Irish heritage, but just about everyone loves joining in on the celebration – especially by going to a parade.  It commemorates the religious and cultural holiday that honors St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated heavily in the United States, and there are a lot of parades that take place all over the country.

In New Jersey, lots of people around Bergen Country go to the Pearl River St. Patrick’s Day Parade, held in Pearl River, New York. People of all ages go to the parade. Usually, they take the train to get there since it is such a great experience, and they get to meet new people and check out what they are wearing. Lots of people go all out and dress up with lots of green for the parade: shirts, pants, hats, hair, glasses – you name it!

Pearl River is a great place to have the parade since it has so many restaurants, pizza places, bars, and open spaces for people to enjoy.  Although it can get pretty loud and exciting, there are police on horses making sure everyone is safe and well.

Every year, the parade has many marching bands (playing traditional Irish music), floats with leprechauns, the Irish flag, plenty of shamrocks, and Irish dancers in traditional costumes. The parade is marched off the main road of Pearl River with the crowd standing on the sidewalk watching. There are also many people hanging out in bars and pizzerias, getting food and watching the parade.

I definitely recommend that next year – if you can – you go to Pearl River’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. You’ll have a great time.