Community Corner

Photos: Seaside Paddy's Parade Draws Thousands

The borough held its first major public event since Hurricane Sandy.

Thousands of people crowded the borough's streets, angling through the mass for a position with a decent view. Revelers hung out on motel balconies or behind metal barricades, cheering with the arrival of every beverage. For blocks surrounding the boulevard, drivers circled around, struggling to find a place to park.

Welcome back, Seaside.

On Saturday, Seaside Heights hosted its annual St. Patrick's Day parade, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors to enjoy the family-friendly event and witness the shore's ongoing reconstruction efforts.

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With the boardwalk still being installed after being destroyed and many homes and businesses still gutted from Hurricane Sandy, crowds marched down the green-striped Boulevard, resuming an annual activity threatened by the late October storm. 

Attendance totals for the noon parade were not immediately known, though organizers estimated that they expected upwards of 50,000 people to attend the event. While the crowd didn't appear to be so large, it was certainly the largest number of people the storm-battered town has hosted since Sandy, and a good sign for the upcoming summer tourism season.

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