It was the moment she had been waiting for since 2019.
“Finally, finally,” said Mary Waller, looking regal Saturday in a horse-drawn carriage on South Street in Morristown, where a green-clad crowd cheered the Grand Marshal of the first Morris County St. Patrick’s Parade since the pandemic.
In 2020, the parade was among the first casualties of the coronavirus. No go last year, either. And a blast of winter postponed last weekend’s scheduled return. Yet Waller never lost faith.
“It was worth it,” the grandmother of 12 said of her long wait for parade day. “It’s too important to give up on it.”
Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin. Click/hover on images for captions:
The turnout appeared lighter than in past years; maybe it was because of lingering COVID concerns, or the forecast of thunderstorms or But what the audience lacked in heft, it made up for in enthusiasm. And on this last day of winter, spectators were rewarded with spring temperatures and not a raindrop in sight.
“This feels fantastic!” Karol Walker of Morristown said from the reviewing stand. “After two years of the pandemic, to come out on this beautiful day, here on this lovely Morristown Green, it’s incredible to be here. The weather is just great. Thank you, God, and thank you, St. Patrick!”
As about a hundred groups, bands and floats rolled from town hall, exclamation points were flying up and down the parade route for the whole 90-minute spectacle.
“COVID is over!” exclaimed Dean Raspantini of Rockaway, who came with his girlfriend, Katie Madsen, and her daughters. “It’s time to get back to life!”
Slideshow photos by Jeff Sovelove. Click/hover on images for captions:
“Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” chirped Randolph brothers Connor and Liam Maico, ages 4 and 2, from the cramped confines of a tiny wagon.
“They’re excited about the fire trucks,” said their mom, Krista Maico.
“It’s been a long three years!” Sarah George, also of Randolph, shouted over the din of toy trumpets tooted by sons Alexander, 4, and Henry, 6.
Big cheers went up for the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey, which carried a banner urging everyone to “Stand With Ukraine” against the Russian invasion.
“Thank you, Ireland!” said Romana Hadzewycz, one of the Ukrainian American marchers from Morristown. She expressed gratitude to the Irish for supplying packaged meals, body armor and truck transport of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Slideshow photos by Bill Lescohier. Click/hover on images for captions:
Gary Lawrence and Brian Pruitt of Parsippany were parade first-timers. Lawrence liked the bagpipes. The Seeing Eye dogs impressed Pruitt.
It was Quinn Godwin’s first parade, too. She is 11 months old.
“This is the longest she’s ever kept her attention on anything in her life,” said her mother, Alexandra, of Morristown, alongside husband Jeremy. “We’re judging now which dance group to enroll her in.”
Mary Waller called her day in the sun “exhilarating.” Before the last bagpipe sounded, she already was looking to March 2023.
“The next Grand Marshal, I’m going to make sure that their day is as wonderful as mine,” she said.
