Ways To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day In Mercer County

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — St. Patrick’s Day is on a Friday this year. Restaurants and businesses across Mercer County will be swimming in Kelly green, and people will be heading to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

One of the biggest attractions for St. Patrick’s Day is the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade held in Hamilton. This year’s parade theme is “The Green Grasses of Ireland” and will be held on Saturday.

The opening ceremony will take place at 12:30 p.m. at the Nottingham Fire House on Mercer Street. The parade will kick off at 1 p.m.

Here are some celebrations scheduled for the March 17 holiday:

• St. Patrick's Day Bash, Alchemist & Barrister, Princeton 5 p.m. onwards: The event will be held in support of Christine’s Hope for Kids.
• St. Patrick’s Day Live Music, Yankee Doodle Tap Room, Princeton
• St. Patty's with Sour Station, Mill Hill Saloon, Trenton
• St. Pat’s Party, Cooper’s Review, Trenton
• Irish Folk Music, Princeton Public Library, Princeton

Devout Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, a sacrifice that recognizes Jesus’ death on the cross on a Friday.

But Catholics have been granted dispensation to dig into a plate of corned beef and cabbage by the Trenton Diocese.

Bishop David M. O’Connell said the Friday obligation to abstain from meat can be fulfilled through other works and actions. More: Catholics In Diocese Of Trenton Can Eat Meat On St. Patrick's Day

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