UNION, NJ — The Union County Saint Patrick’s Day parade will be on Saturday, March 11, in the township of Union. The parade will begin on Morris Avenue, at Commerce Avenue, and will precede east on Morris, making a right turn on Stuyvesant Avenue and then proceeding toward the Pearl Harbor Memorial at Stuyvesant and Elmwood avenues. Traffic will be rerouted in the area beginning at 9 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m.. Extensive travel delays should be expected. Add at least 30 minutes to your travel itinerary. Vehicles will not be permitted to drive on or across the closed section of Morris or Stuyvesant avenues.
For specific parade information, contact the Union Township municipal building at 908-688-2800 or the Union Police Department Traffic Bureau at 908-851-5070 during normal business hours.
Public parking
Comply with all posted parking regulations. Time limit and permit parking restrictions will be waived during the parade. All other parking restrictions will be strictly enforced.
The most congested spectator area of the parade is directly around Union Center. Less crowded areas are on Morris Avenue between Johnson Place and Burnet Middle School. Marchers, spectators or residents may park in the following lots free of charge: The upper and lower lot of town hall, the Atlantic City daily commuter lot at Morris and Adams avenues, the Stowe Street municipal lot, the Biertuempfel Park lot, the Hannah Caldwell School lot, the Burnet Middle School lot, the Caldwell Avenue municipal lot near police headquarters, the Union High School lot, the municipal lot at Stuyvesant Avenue and High Street. Legal on-street parking is also available.
Road closures
The following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic:
• At 9 a.m., Stuyvesant Avenue will be closed from Vauxhall Road to the cannon/clock circle at Elmwood Avenue/Johnson Place. Barricades will be erected and the road will be closed to all through traffic. The roadway must be cleared of all parked vehicles between Stuyvesant and Elmwood avenues. All vehicles left unattended along the designated parade route will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense, pursuant to Ordinance 266-30.
• At 9 a.m., Morris Avenue will also be completely closed from Elmwood Avenue to Grandview Avenue in both directions. Parking will be prohibited along the entire route. Vehicles parked in violation will be ticketed and towed at owner’s expense, pursuant to Ordinance 266-30.
• All streets intersecting with either Morris or Stuyvesant avenues along the parade route will be barricaded and closed to through traffic. Only local traffic and/or legal street parking for the parade will be permitted. Access to Morris Avenue will be strictly prohibited via intersecting streets.
Parking
All municipal parking lots, except Bonnel Court, around the Union Center area will be free, open and accessible to the public. Signs for “Public Parking” are in place.
• Public parking — The parking lots on Stowe Street will be accessible via Vauxhall Road or Pine Avenue. Friberger Park can be accessed via Bond Drive. Burnet School lot is accessible from the Berwyn Street and Caldwell Avenue lot opposite Walgreens, accessible from Elmwood Avenue. Biertuempfel lot is accessible from Vauxhall Road. The A/C lot is accessible from Morris Avenue.
• Handicapped parking and Parade Committee VIP parking — The Bonnel Court Municipal Lot will be reserved and free for handicapped parking and Parade Committee VIP parking only. Persons must enter from Johnson Place and Elmwood Avenue and present valid handicapped ID and/or a 2014 Parade Committee reserved parking permit. Parking is on a first-come, first-served basis. Overflow parking will not be permitted.
• Public consumption of alcohol — Public drinking is also prohibited. Intoxicated or disorderly persons or persons with open containers of alcohol will not be permitted and will be subject to summons and/or arrest.
Prohibited parking
“Emergency No Parking” signs will be posted two days in advance for enforcement on Saturday, March 11, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Letters are delivered in advance to all affected business and residential locations, explaining the restrictions and asking their cooperation on the following streets: Vehicles parked in violation along the designated parade route, staging route or access routes are subject to ticketing and/or towing at the owner’s expense pursuant to local Ordinance 266-30.
• Morris Avenue — both sides;
• Stuyvesant Avenue — both sides, from canon to Grand Master Yum’s World;
• Commerce Avenue — southbound side from Kent Place to Vauxhall Road and both sides from Kent Place to Morris Avenue;
• Jeanette Avenue between Berwyn Street and Morris Avenue — both sides;
• Caldwell Avenue — southbound side between Elmwood Avenue and West Chestnut Street;
• Warren Avenue — northbound side from Morris Avenue to Vauxhall Road; and
• Kent Place — both sides from Commerce to Jeanette avenues.
Marked detours
Full detour will begin at 9 a.m.
• Stuyvesant Avenue/Chestnut Street southbound — right on Vauxhall Road westbound to Burnet Avenue; left on Burnet Avenue southbound to Morris Avenue; left on Morris Avenue eastbound to Elmwood Avenue; right on Elmwood Avenue eastbound to Stuyvesant Avenue. End detour.
• Chestnut Street/Stuyvesant Avenue northbound — left around island to Elmwood Avenue; straight on Elmwood Avenue westbound to Morris Avenue; straight on Morris Avenue westbound to Burnet Avenue; right on Burnet Avenue northbound to Vauxhall Road; Vauxhall Road eastbound to Stuyvesant Avenue. End detour.
• Morris Avenue westbound — right on Warren Avenue northbound to Vauxhall Road; left on Vauxhall Road westbound to Burnet Avenue; left on Burnet Avenue southbound to Morris Avenue. End detour.
• Morris Avenue eastbound — right on Elmwood Avenue eastbound to Stuyvesant Avenue; Stuyvesant Avenue southbound to Chestnut Street; south on Chestnut Street to Colonial Avenue; left on Colonial Avenue to Morris Avenue. End detour.
Divisions for this year’s parade are:
• Father Charles McDermott Division
• Maryann Murphy Memorial Division
• Thomas Hanratty Memorial Division
• Hannon Family Division
• Father McGivney Division
Serving as 2023 general chairperson is Michael Capko. The adjutant is Gabby Sully.