Irish Day festival set for Saturday

The 26th annual Saint Brendan the Navigator Long Beach Irish Day Parade and Festival, organized by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, is set for Saturday, Oct. 3. The parade steps off at 11 a.m. at Washington Boulevard and West Beech Street and will continue through the West End.

AOH president Joseph Moran said that the event will go on rain or shine and that there are no plans to reschedule it due to the stormy weather predicted this weekend, as Hurricane Joaquin could potentially make its way up the East Coast.

William “Billy” Callahan will serve as the grand marshal for this year’s parade and festival. The Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 17 hosts the event each year as a tribute to Irish culture. The tradition goes back to 1990 when members of the AOH first held a mass at St. Ignatius parish on West Broadway and then regrouped at the corner of Washington and Park to march down to the former Elk’s Club on New York Avenue. They would hold their first formal parade the following year in 1991 and the tradition has grown each year.

The parade is arguably the largest in Long Beach and attracts thousands of people, and is followed by the annual Irish Day festival in the West End, which showcases traditional Irish music, food and culture. This year’s festival will kick off at 10 a.m.

There will be no parking on West Beech Street day of the parade between New York and Nevada avenues from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival will conclude at 5 p.m. and West Beech Street must be cleared by 6 p.m. Bars will remain open until 2 a.m., though admittance will be cut off at 1 a.m.

“As we all take part in this celebration of Irish heritage, we ask our guests to abide by the rules and act in a safe manner so everyone can enjoy the festivities,” Councilman Anthony Eramo said in a statement.

In addition to the festival and vendors along West Beech Street, this year’s festival will see the return of the “Kids Zone” at West School, featuring a family friendly entertainment and age-appropriate activities for children.

The parade typically features multiple marching bands, students from the Hagen School of Irish Dance and representatives from various schools, civic groups and organizations throughout the city.

Last year, the AOH honored lifelong Long Beach resident and 25-year member Randy Dodd with the title of grand marshal. In recent times, Brian Sharkey, a past president of the local division of the AOH, was the parade’s grand marshal in 2013, and Michael Carroll and Sean Sullivan were honored as the AOH’s 2013 Men of the Year.

To report any problems to the Police Department, please call (516) 431-1800.