KENILWORTH, NJ — A who’s-who of men and women from Union County’s Irish community and from local businesses and towns have purchased their opportunity to serve beer to attendees at the Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee’s annual “Celebrity Bartender” fundraiser on Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Kenilworth.
Leaders from a variety of Irish organizations, area businesses, and town and county officials from Union County will work half-hour shifts from 1 until 6 p.m. to keep beer mugs filled for the hundreds of guests expected to support the annual event. Tickets cost $10 for entry and include hot dogs, cake, coffee and tea. A $10 refillable mug is available for beer.
Gabby Sully, of Cranford, the 2025 Parade general chairperson, said, “Our Celebrity Bartender party represents one of our largest fundraisers and offers Celtic music, as well as a pipe band exhibition. We hope our friends – old and new – visit us on Sunday to dance, sing along and have a good time.”
The 2025 Celebrity Bartender event will honor the St. Columcille United Gaelic Pipe Band, which has included dozens of members from Union County and has marched in every Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade since the beginning.
Marc Dowling, this year’s grand marshal, is also a long-time organizer of the event. “This year is especially important to me, as it’s an honor to be named grand marshal and my family and I look forward to marching in this year’s parade.”
The Union County Board of Commissioners are expected to attend the event to show their support for the parade.
The Union County Saint Patrick’s Day Parade fund-raising continues in February with a Finnegan’s Wake & Fun Run, on Saturday, Feb. 22. Registration for the Fun Run begins at 11:30 a.m., at the Sun Tavern, 600 Westfield Ave. West, Roselle Park. The race begins at 12:30 p.m. and the Finnegan’s Wake runs from 12:40 to 4 p.m.
The 28th annual Union County St.Patrick’s Day Parade in Union Township begins on Saturday, March 15, at 1 p.m., at Commerce and Morris avenues and runs about 1.1 miles to Stuyvesant and Roosevelt avenues.