St. Patrick's Day Parade 2026

By Jennifer Ersalesi

The 9th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade presented and organized by the Rutherford Irish-American Association will take place on Sunday, March 1st at 1 pm. The parade travels the length of the Park Avenue from Woodland Ave to the review stand at the corner of Park Ave and Ames Ave.

As in years past, various groups and organizations from Rutherford and local areas will march in the parade. Pipe and Drum bands, Parade Dignitaries, Fire and Police departments, Mayor and Council, sports teams, and so many more will also participate. To learn more about the parade, click here.

There will be six Parade Dignitaries this year. The Grand Marshal, Carol Gilhawley, grew up in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. After completing her college education and working as an Editor of Industry & Commerce magazine, she joined Lafferty Publications. She relocated to New York City after accepting a position as Editor. She met her husband, Joe Gilhawley, who was born and raised in Dublin in NYC. They married in 2000 and made Rutherford their home where they raised three children, Emma, Samuel, and Luke. Carol has volunteered with PTA's, the Rutherford Community Food Pantry, and as a Eucharistic minister and CCD teacher at St. Mary's Church. Every year since the first parade, Carol has sung the Irish national anthem at the parade kick-off.

The Deputy Grand Marshal, Kerri-Lynn Walsh-Wood, grew up in Jersey City with her Irish-Catholic family and is a former resident of Rutherford. She has worked in the Courts for thirty-three years and is a certified trainer and adjunct professor. Kerri-Lynn, a former Rutherford resident, met her husband, Keith, who is a bagpiper, while supporting her father who was the bass drummer for the NJSP Pipe Band. For the last twenty-six years, Kerri has been the bass drummer and currently holds the position of Recording Secretary and Drum Sergeant for the NJSP band. She is also a founding member and President of the Sisters of Saint Brigid, which provides a a strong social network for women, aims to preserve Irish history, and supporting charities that benefit women and children.

Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Joseph Espinoza, is a Iife-long Rutherford resident and a graduate of Rutherford High School. He is married to Lauren and has a daughter Gianna. He started his career with the Rutherford Police Department in January 2013 where he joined the Detective Bureau in 2017. In 2017, he was assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Task Force Officer in the NJ Field Division. He received multiple awards through the DEA, including Narcotics Officer of the Year Award for Northern NJ and a recipient of the DEA Administrators Award. For the past year, he has been a county detective for the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office.

John D. Keane, Firefighter of the Year, is a life-long Lyndhurst resident, and traces his heritage back to County Clare, Ireland. Since 2009, he has been a firefighter with the Lyndhurst Fire Department. He served as the Lieutenant, Captain, and served as the Assistant Training Officer for seven years. At Montclair State University, he serves as the Assistant Director of Fire Safety and has received multiple service awards. Presently, he holds the position of Recording Secretary for the NJ College and University Fire Safety Professionals. During the pandemic, he received National Recognition from the Center of Campus Fire Safety for developing a new online form of safety fire safety courses for college level students (the first of its kind).

The EMT of the Year, Jennifer Tarantino Capoano, is a life-long Rutherford resident. She still lives in town with her husband, Craig, and her two sons, Tyler and Logan. In 2005, she joined the Rutherford First-Aid Ambulance Corps and became the first fourth-generation emergency volunteer in New Jersey. She discovered her interest in and passion for emergency response while responding to calls with her father, Mike Tarantino, when she was younger. Over her two decades of service, she has served as 2nd Lieutenant, Training Officer, committee chairperson, and currently President of the Corps. Since 2020, Jen has been a kindergarten teacher in North Arlington where she was named Teacher of the Year in 2022-2023. She has worked at the Rutherford Public Library since 2003.

Samantha Hiller, Member of the Year, is a life-long Rutherford resident and graduate of Rutherford High School. She started her career at the Williams Center and then worked for Pearson Education for over two decades. Currently, she is a Senior Specialist at Thelios, a subsidiary of LVMH, specializing in optical frames and luxury sunglass production. Within her community, she is a parishioner at St. Mary's RC Church and a recent member of the Rutherford Elks Lodge #547. Sam volunteers at every RIAA event, organizing events, selling raffle tickets, acting as a parade adjutant, and so much more. Her Irish roots are traced back through her great-grandparents from Tipperary, Cork, and Limerick. She is proud to share her heritage with her mom, Eileen, her sisters Jean and Bridget, her partner Jeff Waller, and many other friends and family members. Along with her friends, Catherine O'Keefe and Michele Korosy, she enjoys traveling to St. Patrick's Day parades.