By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Rain began to fall and ugly, dark clouds became more threatening by the minute shortly before the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Sea Isle City was about to get underway in all its green finery.
But no one fretted over the raindrops.
It seemed that everyone sensed that the luck of the Irish was truly part of this parade.
By the time the colorful procession began rolling down Landis Avenue at around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, the rain abruptly stopped as if on cue and stayed away for the rest of the 20-block parade.
“It is the luck of the Irish,” Mayor Leonard Desiderio declared of the disappearing rain.
Desiderio and his family have sponsored the St. Patrick’s Day Parade for 31 years. He said it has become a local tradition simply because of the support of the people who love it. The parade made its triumphant return in 2022 after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic.
Even though rain clouds hovered over Sea Isle on Saturday before the 2023 edition of the parade, Desiderio emphasized there was never any thought given to canceling it.
“Everyone is Irish today,” he said while waving to spectators as he strolled down Landis Avenue accompanied by a troop of local Boy Scouts.
Hundreds of spectators lined the sidewalks amid a sea of green clothing, hats, beads, and shamrocks as the parade surged along Landis Avenue between 83rd and 63rd streets.
Police cars, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles flashed their lights and blared their sirens and horns to crank up the excitement level.
Even St. Patrick himself, the patron saint of Ireland, was among the parade marchers. Truth be told, actually St. Patrick was portrayed by a costumed Tim Kelly, whose elaborate get-up included a fake flowing beard, a staff, a mitre cap and green robe.
Kelly explained that he once regularly appeared as St. Patrick in the parade, but took a break for a couple of years during the height of the pandemic. He was elated that he was back in costume Saturday.
“There’s been a lot of positive reaction,” Kelly said of the spectators’ response to his portrayal of St. Patrick. “Despite the weather, it’s a wonderful day for the Irish.”
The parade included an array of other colorful characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Mickey and Minnie and other Disney figures entertained the crowds from atop a St. Patrick’s Day-themed float decorated in shamrocks, balloons and shimmering green and silver streamers.
Five costumed superheroes were a huge hit as they flexed their muscles and posed for photos with adoring children. They included Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, the Green Lantern and Mr. Incredible.
“They’re having a great time,” Jamie Davis, who portrayed Spider-Man, said of the children.
Through it all, Speck, a chocolate-colored horse that is part of the Cape May County Sheriff’s Department mounted patrol, remained exceptionally calm while ridden by Officer Andrew Raniszewski.
As is parade tradition, marchers tossed handfuls of wrapped candies to the children along the parade route. One of the kids who scrambled to pick up some candy was 3-year-old Gigi Monaco.
Gigi sucked on a green lollipop much to the amusement of her mother, Elizabeth Monaco, a New York City resident who spends summer vacations in Sea Isle.
The little girl wore a green vest and had St. Patrick’s Day-style green and white decorations in her hair.
As much as she loved the candy, there was something else in the parade that Gigi enjoyed even more.
“I love the firemen,” she exclaimed.
Other spectators also got into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day. Three married couples, Craig and Gina Hodnett, Andrew and Jennifer Wiess and Gijsbert and Vickie Van Der Plas, stood at the start of the parade at 83rd Street dressed in goofy attire that included shaggy green wigs.
It is tradition for the six friends from Philadelphia to dress up for the holiday.
“We have collected things through the years,” Jennifer Wiess said of the wacky outfits they were wearing Saturday.
Also standing at 83rd Street for the start of the parade were Sea Isle resident Jen Pinter and her son, Derrick Lawrence. They took cover from the rain under an umbrella.
“We expect this every year. It’s March,” Pinter said of the rainy weather. “But we thought we would come out to support our local parade. Isn’t this awesome?”
However, a few minutes later, the umbrella was no longer needed. The rains stopped as the luck of the Irish took hold.
