Irish Week Hits Downtown Freehold

Get your Irish on right here in Freehold starting Monday night through St. Patty’s Day.

For the first time in its history, , in association with the , will celebrate all things Irish during the week of March 12 through March 17, culminating in St. Patrick's Day revelry.

According to says Christina DeGulis,  the marketing and events coordinator for Downtown Freehold, this green holiday was the perfect fit for a downtown event.  "We were seeking something special to draw area residents in March, and St. Patrick's Day, with its upbeat, hearty mission of celebration, is perfect.”

The week of events includes a mixture of culture, arts and highlighting local business.

"The Freehold Borough Arts Council approached us with this idea, which would combine music and film to attract excitement in what is normally a stagnant month; we were seeking a concept to expand our events calendar,” said Rich Gatto, CEO of Downtown Freehold.

Gatto said this week is a great opportunity both for business growth and for residents to enjoy all of what downtown has to offer. “Our businesses were enthusiastic about presenting a fun way to draw regional customers downtown by providing a warm celebration to emerge from the doldrums of winter," he said.

The colorful calendar of events is as follows:

On Monday, March 12, hear the Sounds of Ireland, from 7:30 to 10:30 pm, an evening of beautiful Irish music, at the , , and

Tuesday, March 13 and Wednesday, March 14, an array of participating restaurants take part in Dine Around, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. For a minimal cost of only $10 per ticket, guests can enjoy samplings from: A Little Bit of Cuba Dos, Amerian Hotel, Cafe 360, The Court Jester , Federici's, Metropolitan Cafe, Oyako Tso's, San Marzano Trattoria, Solo Trattoria, Sweet Lew's Cafe, and Texas Mexican Restaurant. Other participants include Especially For You Florist & Gift Shop, NJ Sugar Art Academy at Francesca's Cakery, and Main Street Ballroom Studio. Tickets can be purchased at the office of Downtown Freehold (10 East Main Street, Suite 4A) or online at mylinkat.com.

On Thursday, enjoy the cinematic screening, "Ireland at the Oscars," a special presentation, at the American Hotel, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10 each.

On Friday, March 16 enjoy the sound of professional bagpipers serenading you with the sweet songs of Ireland on the streets of Downtown Freehold from 7-9 pm. St. Patrick's Day, Saturday, March 17 downtown restaurants will be hosting their own food and beverage specials.

On Saturday, March 17 there will be a St. Patrick's Day Parade starting at 11:00 a.m. The route starts behind borough hall and heads down Main St. Everyone is welcome to get dressed up and participate in this family fun event. Continue celebrating the holiday with specials at all the Downtown Freehold restaurants and bars.

After the parade, the Freehold Borough Arts Council, the Center Players Playhouse and the Freehold Ancient Order of Hibernians are hosting a free family event in honor of St. Patty's Day. There will be two showings of the Oscar nominated animated feature, the Secret of Kells starting at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the Center Players on South Street. Seating is limited, so reservations are required. Contact the Freehold Borough Arts Council for more info.

For more details on Irish Week, visit www.downtownfreehold.com, or call (732) 333-0094.

Click to share your green celebrations by uploading photos to our St. Patricks Day Photo Gallery.