Sure ‘n begorrah, St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner!  And that means s is the annual Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  Here’s a fun way to prepare yourself by getting into the Irish spirit of things, and helping to fund the parade, as well.

The Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is once again hosting its annual “Finnegan’s Wake” party and “Guinness Fun Run/Walk” on Saturday, February 23, (MY BIRTHDAY!!) at the Blackthorn Restaurant and Irish Pub,  located at 651 N. Michigan Avenue in Kenilworth, New Jersey.  Registration for the “Guinness Fun Run/Walk” begins  at 11:30 AM at the Blackthorn, and rquires a $25 registration fee that includes a t-shirt, complimentary beverages, and admission into the “Finnegan’s Wake” party. The race itself begins at  12:30 PM.

Starting at 12:45 PM, you can enjoy live Irish-American entertainment by The Mike Byrne Band.  Admission is $20 per person for non-runners,  and includes beer, wine,  and food.  For more information,  call Kathy Noonan-Rotando at )908)906-4622, Kevin Dowling at (732)594-1763, Marc Dowling at (908)967-0740 or Bernadette Sullivan at (908)432-6719.

All proceeds from the fun run and party will help benefit the 2013 17^th Annual Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which begins  at 1:00 PM on March 16th, on Morris Avenue in Union.   Prior to the parade,  family-friendly festivities kick off at 11:00 AM at the reviewing stand on the corner of Morris and Stuyvesant Avenues in Union Center. For more information about the Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade please visit www.unioncountystpatricksdayparade.com.

Food, drink, merriment, music, and a little exercise.  Just what the doctor ordered!