The 28th Annual Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade will step off in Union Township at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 15.
Leading this year’s parade, which is dedicated to youth athletics, will be grand marshal Marc Dowling.
Dowling, 37, was born and raised in Westfield. He is co-owner of Dowling’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in Roselle Park, vice president of the Joseph Nugent Sr. Association and executive board member of the Union County Celtic Festival. His family roots trace back to County Cork, Laois, and Tyrone in Ireland.
“There’s no higher honor in the Irish community than being named grand marshal of a parade, especially one that you grew up with,” said Dowling. “My father was a founder of this parade, so this is truly a full-circle moment for me. I could not be more excited to celebrate my family and heritage on March 15.”
Leading this year’s parade Union County St. Patrick's Day Parade, which is dedicated to youth athletics, will be grand marshal Marc Dowling.Courtesy
“Marc’s kindness, generosity, and commitment to both the local and Irish communities are unmatched,” said Gabby Sully, 2025 Parade General Chairperson. “We both grew up around this parade, and we’re thrilled to carry forward the momentum built by this committee over nearly three decades.”
Dowling’s great-grandfather founded the Joseph Nugent Sr. Association, New Jersey’s oldest active independent Irish-American organization.
“What excites me most about this year’s parade is the second generation of leaders running the event,” Dowling shared. “My father was a past General Chair, and Gabby’s father and stepmother, as well as Jimmy Holmes' mother, have all served as General Chairs or Adjutants. The key to ‘Keeping the Tradition Alive’ is to get younger generations involved.”
Preliminary presentations will begin at noon at the main reviewing stand, which will be located at the corner of Morris and Stuyvesant avenues. The parade will begin at Commerce and Jeannette avenues, move along Morris Avenue and proceed east to the reviewing stand at Stuyvesant Avenue. The parade will end at Roosevelt Avenue. Public parking will be available at Stowe Street, Biertuempfel Park, and Union High School.
Prior to the parade, a Thornstick Mass will be offered at Immaculate Heart of Mary & St. Patrick Catholic Church, 215 Court St. in Elizabeth.
For more parade information, click here.
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