Were You There? Annual St. Patrick's Parade Packs Morristown

The sun was shining. The chill was timid. And, after the debacle that was the last-minute weather-related cancelation of last year's annual Morris County St. Patrick's Day Parade, this year's festivities went off without a hitch.

From the onset, as temporary fencing was being set up along the parade route, and vendors began selling their wares, the quickly building crowds were in a celebratory mood.

Especially after the winter the region had, Morris Plains resident Steve Yosh said people were hungry for a day like this.

"People just want to get out," he said as he held his young daughters Roisin and Delaney. "It's a beautiful day, and this is good for the town."

Indeed, a lot of folks did not end up returning to the rescheduled parade, in April, after heavy rain and winds canceled last year's parade at the last minute.

"It's great," said Morris Plains resident Dana Ruglio, who grew up in Morristown. "And, it's nice that the kids won't freeze."

Both Dana and her husband, Paul, along with Dana's mother, Dolly Delbene, did not bother to return after the cancelation. So, this is their first St. Paddy's Day parade here in two years.

"We skipped the year because of the rain," said Amy Tilney, Dana Ruglio's friend. "Last year was crappy."

Mike Menihan remembers well the parade that wasn't. As a member of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, in Morris Plains, he was in charge of parade enforcement, and was the starter for the parade last year.

"Yeah, not a lot of people came to the (rescheduled) parade last year," he said. "My shoes were soaked with water from all the rain.

"But this, this is gorgeous," Menihan said. "A perfect day for it."

As the morning moved into afternoon, and the slow, deliberate parade line marched forth, crowds cheered Rory O'Moore Pipe and Drum Band, the Peter Smith Irish Dancers, the person dressed as Scooby Doo and a pint of Guinness. Dogs and babies were everywhere, and a general pleasant atmosphere seemed to overshadow last week's troubles in Hoboken during their parade.

"It looked fabulous," said councilwoman Rebecca Feldman. "And, best of all, tons of families and plenty of people were buying food and souveniers and not littering. It was a friendly, upbeat crowd."

Also be sure to check out our massive photo gallery, with over 300 photos from the St. Patrick's Day Parade!

Also, you can upload your own photos to this story, or e-mail them to john.dunphy@patch.com.