St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2016: Entertainment Guide and Traffic Alert

The 2015 Ocean County St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Photo: Daniel Nee)

As with the annual Polar Plunge last month, state officials are warning motorists headed for the Ocean County St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Seaside Heights on Saturday to take an alternate route to the borough and skip Route 37, where only one lane will flow over the J. Stanley Tunney Bridge while the Thomas A. Mathis bridge remains closed due to rehabilitation work.

Electronic signs on the Garden State Parkway and Route 37, plus mobile signs in Brick, point drivers toward the Mantoloking Bridge as the best route to the festivities. For those coming from North Jersey, exiting at Parkway exit 98 and driving down Route 35 will likely be the best option.

The road work will also affect those towing floats into town for the parade. No vehicles, trailers or parade floats exceeding 11 feet in width will be permitted on the bridge heading eastbound into Seaside Heights, the state Department of Transportation announced in a statement.

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The Mathis bridge is scheduled to temporarily reopen for the summer season by May 12.

As usual, the parade route will run along Boulevard from J Street in Seaside Park to Hancock Avenue in Seaside Heights. The parade viewing stand will be located at Sheridan Avenue and the Boulevard. The parade kicks off at 12 noon.

Seaside Heights restaurants and bars will be celebrating all day. Prime viewing is available at Klees, Bamboo and Karma, where revelers can watch the floats go by from the roof.

Musical acts set to appear during the day include:

• Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns – 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Beachcomber Bar and Grill, 100 Ocean Terrace, SSH.
• The Snakes (Irish Music) – 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., Crab’s Claw Inn, 601 Grand Central Avenue (Route 35), Lavallette.
• Parade Party All Day – Bamboo Bar, opening 11 a.m., no cover with printed flyer before 2 p.m., Boulevard, SSH.
• DJ Encore, DJ Ammo, John Farrugio, Vinny Cee DJ DC, – JR’s, open 9 a.m., 601 Ocean Terrace, SSH.
• DJ B Nice, DJ Unique, DJ Swoosh – Aztec Bar, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., 901 Boardwalk, SSH.
• 10,000 sq. ft. out door parking lot, shot girls, beer garden, giveaways, free mug – Capt. Hooks, 1320 Boulevard, SSH.