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Community ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
Top of the day to lads and lassies. Next week, on March 17, people of all backgrounds will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially throughout the United States and Ireland.
St. Patrick’s Day is in honor of the most recognized patron saint of Ireland, St. David.
Although many people associate St. Patrick’s Day with festive parties featuring green beverages, the Irish holiday is deeply rooted in the culture, arts and food of Ireland and its people.
That spirit is showcased in several community events planned including at the Haldeman Ford and Subaru dealership in Hamilton, which is hosting the 8th annual St. PETrick’s Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 17. The event includes a drive the Hamilton Animal Shelter and the Animal Friends for Education and Welfare, an animal rescue organization of East Windsor.
"St. PETrick’s Day was the brain child of Marguerite Traegler, the general manager of sales at Haldeman Ford Subaru,” said Marilyn Hondorp, of East Windsor, who is the operations manager and veterinary chairperson of A.F.E.W.
"There are about 300 plus people who stop by and bring items for the pets, consider adoption and participate in the silent auction,” Ms. Hondorp said.
A.F.E.W. will present pets up for adoption. “A.F.E.W. will be bringing about 10 to 12 dogs and approximately 10 cats for people to meet and hopefully adopt,” she said.
As for breeds, Ms. Hondorp explained, “There are a couple of animals who have been around just waiting forever for their homes, Maggie a Sharpei mix and a couple of kittens, Dora and Boots, whose mother was hit by a car and later left homeless. There were five kittens and Dora and Boots are the only two left.”
Still, St. Patrick’s Day is also a time when people get together to drink green beer.
"A lot of people that don’t normally come out, come out for St. Patrick’s day to enjoy the festivities,” said Muffin Petrin, of Freehold, and bartender at Tavern on the Lake.
"Everybody’s Irish on St. Patty’s Day,” Ms. Petrin said with a smile.
"It’s crazy and fun,” Ms. Petrin said of St. Patrick’s Day.
"We typically sell at least 600 corned beef specials.” said Joan McMahan, of East Windsor, who is the general manager of Tavern on the Lake.
"(The) most popular drinks are Guinness pints, Jameson shots, and Irish car bombs,” Ms. McMahan said. “The big thing is the green beer.”
The Irish Car Bomb is a beer drink made up of Guinness stout beer, Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur and Jameson Irish whiskey.
East Windsor resident Amy Quigley, the owner of City Streets, explained how she organizes the weekly specials especially around the holidays and tries to differentiate her restaurant from other venues.
"At City Streets, we normally base our weekly specials on holidays or special events so our weekly specials will feature the cuisine of Ireland or takeoffs on Irish foods,” said Ms. Quigley.
Food
Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s day dish. In 2009, roughly 26.1 billion pounds of beef and 2.3 billion pounds of cabbage were produced in the United States, according to A&E Television Networks LLC.
For breakfast on March 17 one can partake in either a traditional Irish breakfast or order a green bagel at Hightstown Hot Bagels, on 105 Franklin St. For more information, call 609-448-2440.

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City Streets is featuring a cuisine of Ireland or takeoffs on Irish foods in addition to the traditional corned beef and cabbage. Special appetizers will be Irish tacos, tortillas stuffed with shredded corned beef and coleslaw, served with a yogurt cilantro sauce. Each week the restaurant features homemade ice cream flavors and in honor of St. Patrick’s day, will be Guinness stout ice cream made that day. There will also be traditional Irish stout beef stew, bangers, champs, corned beef and cabbage, which is plated with red skinned potatoes and carrots. City Streets is located at 510 Route 130, East Windsor. For further information, call 609-426-9400 or visit www.citystreetscafe.com.

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Tavern on the Lake will feature food and drink specials all day on March 17. Corned beef specials will start at $5 and increase in cost if a dinner speical. Other Irish traditional foods included in its St. Patrick’s Day menu include sausage. Popular drinks include green beer and specials include $2.50 Killian’s Irish red pints; $4.50 Guinness pints; and $3.00 Smithwick bottles. There will also be giveaways throughout the day and night. For further information, call 609-426-9345. The Tavern on the Lake is located at 101 N. Main St., Hightstown.

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The Americana Diner will serve on St. Patrick’s Day traditional corned beef and cabbage. The Americana Dinner is located at 359 Route 130, East Windsor. For further information, call 609-448-4477 or visit wwwamericanadiner.com.
Music
City Streets will be featuring the band Never Enough, whose members will be playing some Irish “swag” to their guests throughout the evening.

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Tavern on the Lake will be featuring a bag piper and drummer from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and then a DJ will play music from 8 p.m. until closing time.
Events
The Hightstown Knights of Columbus Council 6284 will host its annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance on March 17 at 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 156 Maxwell Ave., Hightstown. Folks can join the Knights for an evening of music, dancing and traditional Irish fare, as well as raffles for cash and prizes. Proceeds benefit the organization’s charitable programs. Tickets are $35 per person. To learn more, call Tony Humphreys 609-448-8229 or Rich Gavila 609-449-7824.

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The Joshua Harr Shane Foundation, of East Windsor, is hosting its first ever springtime party, St. Patrick’s Day Bash, on March 17 at the Mercer Oaks Golf Course, 729 Village Rd., West Windsor. The foundation works with children in need, the military, and their families, throughout Central Jersey. Reservations required for tickets, which cost $75 per person. There will be a cocktail party, four course dinner, Chinese and silent Auctions. Brian Dzbenski, of MDJ Entertainment, is providing music for the bash as a donation to the foundation. To learn about the foundation or to see if there are any last minute seats available, visit www.joshuaharrshane.org.

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Haldeman Ford and Subaru, 607 Route 33, Hamilton, is hosting the 8th annual St. PETrick’s Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 17. Includes a drive for items for the Hamilton Animal Shelter and A.F.E.W. There is also a microchip walk-in clinic available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during St. PETrick’s Day. The cost is $35 per pet. In addition, there will be a silent auction featuring many items donated from local businesses. For more information on St. PETrick’s Day, call 609-586-7600.