The quietest person in the parade. With the Ocean Twp HS Band. Paul Goldfinger photo. Blogfinger.net
Mummers: men in gowns and a marching violinist. Paul Goldfinger photo Click to enlarge.
This New Orleans style combo was marching sideways.
Girl Scouts–some past puberty. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor. Blogfinger.net
Sunday, March 10, 2024.
This parade was noisy and crowded. It was cold and windy . There was no open alcohol allowed; so much for St. Patrick tradition.
It should have been called, “Every Asbury Group Dressed In Green Parade.” They had the VFW, a couple of bar floats, animal rescue, Stone Pony, Little League, tennis club. (they made a racket), string bands with one marching violin player, throwing candy, yelling, old cars, some realtors, Roller Derby, pipes/drums, firemen, and more of the same totaling over 60 groups.
If you need the list, go online to” Asbury St. Patrick’s Parade”.
It promised to be a showcase for New Jersey marching bands, but it wasn’t; not a whiff of Sousa; but yes—politicians, charities, and photographers. There were several high school bands (Ocean Twp and St. Rose) including Neptune HS which has been avoiding Ocean Grove parades lately.
This was a generic uninspired town parade like we get in the Grove on Independence Day except for the green colors here, no patriotism in either, and every branch of the CMA at ours.
Both parades fail to bring at lease one full blown, rousing marching band playing Sousa. To have a great parade you need to spend money or get the towns to spend money.
One feature that was here, that they should have eliminated, was the obnoxious yelling guy with a microphone and a loud speaker who introduced every one of the 60 marching groups, exhorting the crowd to “give it up for”________fill in the blank and offering a few sentences to explain what we are seeing. Did we really need to know that the little girls marching by are the Girl Scouts?
So, I am a curmudgeon–I should have stayed home. I was spoiled by the Memorial Day parades in the all-American town of Rutherford. My brother and I marched and played in every one with the RHS Bulldog Band. We did know Sousa. (Oh, oh, oh what a girl).
At least in the Grove, the pleasures are mostly created by cheering for people you know, like your neighbor dancing by in a mini; and the families along Main Avenue in a true small town America waving our flag and greeting folks that we know.
Maybe our OG parade itself could be better: I say that Neptune should pay for a first class July 4 parade, held on July 4, and inviting everyone from Neptune–then the crowds would be just fine and we be one town for once.
EDDIE CANTOR: