Seasonal & Holidays
St. Patrick’s Parade Sidelined Until 2023 In Sussex County
Organizers of Sussex County's parade explain why it cannot be held in 2022, in spite of Gov. Phil Murphy's lift that now allows it.
SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ — New Jerseyans received the green light on Monday from Gov. Phil Murphy that their communities can hold 2022 St. Patrick’s Day parades.
During Monday’s coronavirus briefing, Murphy clarified that because of the drop in COVID-19 cases, outdoor events including St. Patrick's Day parades — like Morris County’s planned for March 12 — can march on in New Jersey.
Murphy’s permission, however, doesn’t help the organizers of Sussex County’s yearly St. Patrick’s Day parade, a popular tradition typically held in Newton. Before COVID-19 struck, in early 2020, the parade changed organizers. The Town of Newton and Newton Fire Department were handed the baton to take over the parade.
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Fire Chief Jason Miller, a spokesperson for the parade, told Patch in an email statement, that planning for the 2022 parade began in November.
"The latest regulations do not change the decision for 2022," Miller wrote.
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Miller however said the parade organizers intend to move forward with plans for 2023.
“As of December 2021 CDC reports of a 500 percent more contagious variant was coming our way,” Miller wrote about the 2022 parade plans. “Having that to contend with and the peaking number at the time we decided to cancel.”
“We also had members of our fire department getting sick and being out of service, making planning a big event next to impossible,” he added.
The fire department addressed disappointment it heard about the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Parade cancelation, in January on its Facebook page. The department explained it had difficulty during the pandemic holding meetings and seeking parade funding. Fire protection, the department wrote, was their number one duty.
“This event takes weeks of meetings and hours of everyone’s time that wasn't possible this year,” the fire department wrote on Jan. 20. “Our main concern is providing fire protection and could not risk be compromising our membership falling ill from attending meetings for a parade.”
“We hope things will change and improve and that this Parade will get back on track next year if not better than ever,” Newton Fire Department said.
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