Union Saint Patrick's Day Parade Saturday, March 14 20091 p.m. Step-off Union Parade Photos I

UNION, NJ--The 13th Annual Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off Saturday, March 14th, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. sharp on Morris Avenue in the Township of Union, NJ, as thousands of marchers and spectators gather to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland.

9:00 AM - Thornsticks Mass at Saint Patrick's Church in Elizabeth
and a welcoming reception in the Church Hall after Mass

12:00 Noon - Reviewing Stand Festivities
Morris & Stuyvesant Avenues in Union

The "Kid's Zone" fun for all ages --- Stuyvesant Ave.(just off Morris Ave.)

1:00 PM Sharp - The Parade begins
The Marching units gather at Morris Avenue and along Commerce and Jeanette Avenues,
the parade route proceeds east along Morris Avenue to a turn at the Main Reviewing Stand
and ends at Roosevelt Avenue

Midway Reviewing Stand
Morris and Caldwell Avenues in Union
Parade Announcers with Details of all of the Participants!
History and Information!
A great place to watch the parade!

Come see the march of bagpipe and high school bands, local police and fire department units, floats and many more organizations through the center of Union.

Thanks to the efforts of the Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee and some 17 organizations working behind the scenes year-round, the Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade has grown from drawing 10,000 spectators during its inaugural run in 1997 to more than 40,000 on-lookers last year. This 2007 Parade is dedicated to New Jersey’s firefighters to honor them for their commitment and extraordinary efforts in service to the community.

In keeping with a parade tradition, officials from Shannon, Ireland will be marching for the eleventh straight year. As guests of the Union County Emerald Society, Shannon Mayor Tony McMahon, his wife Carmel and Shannon Town Clerk Tomas MacCornaic will join in the Union County celebration of St. Patrick.

A Mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Elizabeth at 9 a.m. to begin the day followed by a welcoming reception in the church hall.

The family-friendly festivities kick off at 12 noon at the reviewing stand located at the corner of Morris and Stuyvesant Avenues in Union Center with a warm Irish welcome from parade officials, traditional Irish music and Irish step-dancing. The one-mile parade will begin at 1 p.m. at Commerce Street and Morris Avenue, proceeding east on Morris to Union Center and south onto Stuyvesant Avenue, ending at Roosevelt Avenue.

This year, the parade will also feature a Kid Zone presented by the Union County Business District. The Kid Zone will feature inflatable rides, walk-around entertainers and activities for the whole family. Located on Stuyvesant and Morris Avenues, this new area of the festivities brings additional amusement for young visitors, as well as the young-at-heart.

The organizations that are represented on the parade committee are based throughout Union, Essex and Middlesex counties and include The John Cryan Association, Thornsticks, The Irish-American Society of the Township of Union, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the Joseph Nugent Association, the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Elizabeth, the Union County Emerald Society and the Union County Irish-American Association. The parade also receives major support from such sponsors as Union Center National Bank and Peerless Beverage.