Seeing green yet? There are plenty of ways to celebrate the luck of the Irish on the feast of St. Patrick's Day this Saturday, and not all of them involve the traditional corned beef and cabbage.
From an Irish block party to a Celtic music concert, and even a 10-mile run, there are a variety of unique ways to enjoy the day - and even help a number of area charities and organizations at the same time.
Here is a roundup of some of the St. Patrick's Day-themed parades, parties, concerts and events taking place this weekend around southern New Jersey.
St. Patrick's Day
Parade in Sea Isle City
Irish music, Irish food and plenty of green - this year will mark the 22nd annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Sea Isle City, which will take place 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
This year's parade, which begins at 93rd Street in Townsend Inlet, will include the members of the Atlantic City Fire Department Sandpiper Pipe Band, who are newcomers to the event. Beauty queens, scout troops, antique vehicles, fire engines, ambulances and floats will also be seen, as will a variety of mascots, including McGruff the Crime Dog and Eddie the Eagle from the Cape May County Sheriff's Department. Businesses, members of local civic groups, the VFW Post 1963 Color Guard and many other participants will also add to the day's enjoyment.
Not to be missed in the parade are the members of Sea Isle's 2012 Irish Royal Family, who will be led by Irish-American Man of the Year Warren "Renny" Steele (Captain of the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol) and his wife, Barbara Light-Steele, the 2012 Irish-American Woman of the Year. Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization President Christopher Glancey will serve as the parade's grand marshall.
The parade wraps up along Landis Avenue to 63rd Street, where it will culminate at the 2012 Irish Celebration at KIX-McNutley's Night Club. The celebration, which will be open to the public immediately after the parade, will feature Irish music and food.
For more parade information, call 609-263-4461, ext. 230, or 609-263-6341.
Wildwood block party
Everyone will be Irish for the day on Saturday at the first-ever Wildwood St. Patrick's Day Block Party.
The family-friendly festivities will take place in Downtown Wildwood on Pacific Avenue between Spencer and Lincoln avenues from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m., rain or shine.
Start the day with a kegs-n-eggs breakfast buffet inside the Cattle 'n Clover Irish Steakhouse from 9 to 11 a.m. Price is $10 per person and includes two drink tickets. Proceeds benefit Lunch with Lynch.
There will be a giant heated tent with a face painter, balloon artist, stiltwalker, leprechaun, vendors and games. There will also be an attempt to make the world's largest shepherd's pie for the Guinness Book of World Records. A minimum $1 donation is required to receive a fork and bowl, and all donations benefit Lunch with Lynch.
Pentatonix, Season 3 Champions from NBC's "The Sing Off," will be performing from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. along with special guests Burning Bridget Cleary, the Soul Cruisers and Hydeaway.
Call 609-522-3800 or go to www.WildwoodStPatsDay.com.
Annual 'St. Catrick's Day' Party for LICK
Spend the holiday helping a good cause. Atlantic County animal rescue - LICK (Life Improvement for Cats & Kittens) - will hold their annual "St. Catrick's Day" party to benefit the nonprofit organization on Saturday, March 17, from 7 to 11 p.m. at Scullville Fire Hall.
The event will include an Irish-themed buffet dinner with desserts, a Chinese auction, a DJ and dancing. Admission is $22 per person plus a canned cat food donation.
The Scullville Fire Hall is located on Somers Point/Mays Landing Road in Egg Harbor Township. Advance reservations are recommended. Checks can be sent to LICK, P.O. Box 392, Mays Landing, NJ 08330.
For additional information, go to www.catsandkittens.org or call 609-926-4630.
Eileen Ivers
at Appel Farm
Kick off the Irish-themed holiday by celebrating with a performance from Celtic star Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul at Appel Farm Arts & Music Center 8 p.m. Friday, March 16.
Ivers, one of the great innovators in Celtic and world music, is known worldwide for her live performances. Ivers is a Grammy Award winner and nine-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, who has played with everyone including The Chieftains, Sting, Hall and Oates and Patti Smith.
Tickets are $30. Audiences can participate in a pre-show conversation with Ivers, hosted by music journalist Nicole Pensiero, at 6:45 p.m. for an additional $10. There will be a special Irish-themed buffet at The Creekside Inn in Woodstown from 4:45 to 7 p.m. prior to the concert. Tickets are available in advance for $22.
Appel Farm Arts and Music Center is located at 457 Shirley Road in Elmer. Tickets can be purchased online at www.appelfarm.org or by calling 800-394-1211.
Show green, save green at A.C. Aquarium
In honor of the holiday, the Atlantic City Aquarium is giving visitors a chance to save some green. Wear something green to the aquarium on Saturday and save $1 off the price of admission.
A live diver feeding show will take place at 11 a.m. At noon and 3 p.m., it's feeding time for the juvenile cow nose rays, bat rays, southern rays and shovel nose sharks. Visitors can hand-feed these species by purchasing bags of food for $2.
At 2 p.m., visitors can get close to the aquarium's more unusual inhabitants at the exotic animal show, featuring the largest species of scorpion in the world and the softest furred mammal in the world.
The Atlantic City Aquarium is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors and $5 for children ages 4-12. Children under 3 are free. The aquarium is located in Atlantic City's historic Gardner's Basin. Call 609-348-2880 or go to www.acaquarium.com.
Boardwalk 10-Miler and 5K Run
The 34th annual St. Patrick's Day Boardwalk 10-miler and 5K run will be held 10 a.m. Saturday beginning at Bloom Community Pavilion in Margate.
The 10-miler will take runners from the Bloom Community Pavilion - located behind the Margate Library - to the Boardwalk in Ventnor to Maryland Avenue in Atlantic City and back.
Participants can register in advance until March 15 at
www.active.com or by mail. In-person registration on race day will take place 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Long-sleeve shirts will be provided to those who pre-register while supplies last.
For the fourth consecutive year, the run will benefit both the Donny Fund and the South Jersey Field of Dreams. This year, proceeds will also benefit FACES Support for Autism Network.
Call John Glassey at 609-641-8666 or Marianne Christian at 609-822-2285.
'Third Friday' fun
in Millville
Get in the green spirit one day early by heading to the Glasstown Arts District's "Third Friday" in Millville on Friday.
A special "pot of gold scavenger hunt" will be held in addition to new exhibits at several galleries, shopping specials in the district boutiques, and several Irish-themed restaurant specials. Twelve businesses are participating in the scavenger hunt, which includes clue sheets with photos and runs through Saturday, March 17. The winner of the "pot of gold" (a gift basket with certificates and other prizes) will be announced March 23.
Local businesses including Across the Pond, An Octopus's Garden, Amanda's, BJ Roasters, Bogart's Books & Coffee, Dew Drop In, Glasstown Art Glass, Guilty Pleasures, My Things Fragrances and Jewelry, Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Something Sweet, and The Incredible Bulk will all be participating.
For more information about the event, go to www.glasstownartsdistrict.com.
