I almost take the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and the celebration of my Irish heritage for granted. I said almost.

I am fortunate to ride in New Jersey’s largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Belmar-Lake Como St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which will now run on Saturday, March 28, 2026. It was postponed because of the Jersey Shore snowstorm that dumped a couple of feet of snow.

I am also fortunate to serve as the Grand Marshall in 2015 and continue to ride in the Asbury Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which will step off this Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 1 p.m.

Just those parade experiences alone are filled with so many people lined up to catch the parades, the pipes and drums, the marchers, along with having fun and enjoying the experience.

There are many other parades up and down the Jersey Shore and all over New Jersey celebrating the wearing of the green.

There are a considerable number of exceptionally good Irish pubs, bars, and restaurants sprinkled all over the Garden State. A fan favorite is Irish dancers and Irish music at big venues like the Count Basie in Red Bank.

All those festivities and the celebration have made New Jersey the number one state in the country for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

According to new data released by BETMGM, the company analyzed Google Trends search data across categories such as alcohol and drinkware, green clothing, costumes, party supplies, Irish artists, Irish music, and miscellaneous topics over the past three years.

The data showed that New Jersey still grew with celebration intensity. As a result, New Jersey claimed the top shillelagh in the country. Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, and Illinois fared well, too.

I found it interesting that Irish music has gained the biggest leap in popularity with an 82% of all states compared to the previous two years.

Alcohol and drinkware are on the down trend along with green clothing and costumes on a national basis.

New Jersey likes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, it is a celebration of unwinding, having a little fun and enjoying the atmosphere of the great New Jersey tradition. Enjoy, see you in the parades.

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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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