Belmar St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Other Events This Week

A sure sign of spring is the arrival of the Belmar St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It also means one more week until Daylight Savings Time starts. I don’t know about you, but I sure could use an extra hour of light after work.  Once spring arrives it also means the Jersey Shore slowly starts to re-awaken after its long winters nap. My tulips are already poking up above the earth so it shouldn’t be long before everything is in bloom and there are more events going on than will fit in one little post. Let’s get to it:

Asleep At The Wheel hits the stage at Count Basie Theatre on Friday, March 4th at 8:00pm. The 9-time Grammy-winning Kings of Texas swing return for an evening of western-swing, boogie, and Americana roots music. Click here for tickets.

Belmar Celtic Chase/Beach Fun Run kicks off St.Patrick’s Day Parade weekend. Saturday, March 5th 12:00pm in Belmar, New Jersey at Taylor Pavilion, 5th and Ocean Avenue. Belmar Tourism Commission & Belmar Chamber of Commerce with cooperation from the Jersey Shore Running Club, present the 2nd Annual Belmar ” Celtic Chase” Beachfront Mile. Race day registration starts at 9:30am and shirts are guaranteed to pre-registered runners only. The entry fee is $17.00 March 1-5, $20 on race day and the Kid’s Fee  is $15.00 RaceDay (age 12 and under).  There will be random prize drawings, a grand prize and race awards for the Top 10 Male and Female Runners. Post Race Party and Awards Ceremony will be at Connolly Station For more info: tourism@boro.belmar.nj.us

First Saturday in Asbury Park on Saturday, March 5th, 2011. Help make Asbury Park THE Most Visited Small City on the East Coast. Join the Mardi Gras Party on First Saturday. Register your visit at the downtown locations for a chance to win a prize on the spot! Prize drawings on the hour at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. Shops, cafes and galleries are open late. Music at small and large venues. Each Visit & Win! location will be hosting a very special Mardi Gras celebration. Kick off the party with a Sazerac Cocktail at Trinity & the Pope. Parade down memory lane at Flying Saucers retro kitchen ware & more. Robert Legere Home experts reveal design answers one on one. Catch a movie short on the big easy screen at The Showroom. Register to win a prize on the spot! Prize drawings take place on the hour.

6 pm at Trinity & the Pope 649 Mattison Ave

7 pm at Flying Saucers 658 Cookman Ave, Shoppes at the Arcade

8 pm at Robert Legere Design Center 513 Cookman Ave

9 pm at The Showroom 708 Cookman Ave (GRAND PRIZE – tickets to Social Distortion)

(Prizes awarded at on-the-spot drawing; you must be present to win. Prizes graciously donated by retail sponsors) Visit all four locations for a chance to win!  FREE garage parking. Trolley service with stops throughout Downtown & the Boardwalk.

Belmar St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sunday, March 6th, 2011 in Belmar, NJ.  One of the largest St. Patrick’s Day Parades in New Jersey.  It starts at 12:00pm on Main Street in Belmar and Lake Como.  The Food Bank of Monmouth and  Ocean Counties will be collecting non-perishable food items at the parade. To see a list of requested items, click here. Post parade party will be held at The Barclay on 5th Avenue in Belmar from 2:00pm to 6:00pm with The Snakes and the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh Old Bridge Pipes and Drums.  The price is $10.00 and includes a buffet.  Kids are welcome.

E. Todd Murray Half Marathon Sunday, March 6th, 9:00am at Brookdale Community College 765 Newman Springs Road.  Pre-registration is $25. Post registration is accepted on day of race and costs $30. The 13.1 mile out and back course loops through residential sections of Lincroft, Holmdel, Colts Neck and Thompson Park. Past participants share that the course offers “incredibly scenic” views of horse farms and country estates through these rural New Jersey towns, as well as many tough hills throughout the course especially around miles 6 and 9, which is followed by nearly a mile of uphill terrain. For more information and to view the course  map visit Half Marathons.net here.

I haven’t been to the St.Patrick’s Day in Parade in Belmar but it looks really fun.  Have you been?  Are there any tips or tricks? Parking, mass transportation, best place to stand? Leave me a note in the comments if you have a tip to share.  The E. Todd Murray Half Marathon snuck up on me.  I had every intention of running it this year but with roads and trails being snow-covered up until two weeks ago, training was a real challenge. Current goal Long Branch Half Marathon. If there’s other cool events I neglected to mention, drop me a line and I’ll be glad to add them.

**photo credit sasd.k12.pa.us