LepreGone: Hoboken Pubcrawl Continues to Wither

(ABOVE: File photo)

There are still some Hobokenites left who remember that the annual Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade was a signature community event. However, years of debauched behavior and hotly debated administrative decisions saw the cancellation of the parade in 2012.

What took its place was a green-tinged brew and brofest known as “LepreCon,” essentially driving any cultural significance out of the event and turning it into a cheesy pubcrawl.

For nearly a decade, LepreCon has cast a pall over the first Saturday in March, putting residents on edge and leaving authorities to guess just how much of a mess it might be. Numbers have dwindled significantly over the years, but the apprehension still remains.

According to Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante, there were 377 calls for service yesterday, with 32 moving violations, 16 summonses issued, 12 people sent to the hospital and 6 arrests.

Summary of arrests: #1 A 22 yr old from River Vale, NJ, for Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest, at 74 Hudson St by Officer D. Montanez @Sonsofhoboken . #2 A 23 yr old from Nanuet, NY for Disorderly Conduct & Obstruction of Justice at 74 Hudson St. by Officer @Ryan_Houghton_

— Chief Ken Ferrante (@KenFerrante) March 8, 2020

Arrest #3 A 31 yr old from Bronx, NY, for 6 Drug charges incl. Possession with intent to Distribute Marijuana & Cocaine at 33 Newark St. by Officers M. Straten & M. Lombardi. #4 A 24 yr old from Lincoln Park, NJ for Obstruction at 89 Washington St, by Det. B. Globke.

— Chief Ken Ferrante (@KenFerrante) March 8, 2020

Arrest #3 A 31 yr old from Bronx, NY, for 6 Drug charges incl. Possession with intent to Distribute Marijuana & Cocaine at 33 Newark St. by Officers M. Straten & M. Lombardi. #4 A 24 yr old from Lincoln Park, NJ for Obstruction at 89 Washington St, by Det. B. Globke.

— Chief Ken Ferrante (@KenFerrante) March 8, 2020

A quick glance at those arrests underscores the reality that the problems stem not from Hoboken residents, but from out of towners. Most of the crowds and issues remained contained to the downtown area in the vicinity of the PATH train.

Meanwhile at Cork City (239 Bloomfield Street), this was the scene:

 

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DOTD: “Ellie” takes a break from LepreCON – the slowest bar Saturday of the year. Ignore the City of Hoboken’s social media posts and stop by. Nobody’s here. Tapped Today! Perry Miloslawski Pear Cider. #dogfriendly #corkcitydogs

A post shared by Cork City (@corkcitypub) on Mar 7, 2020 at 9:41am PST

By most accounts, LepreCon is a net negative for businesses and residents alike in Hoboken. With City officials satisfied in the fact that LepreCon is dying, the once-proud community Parade it supplanted seems like an ever-fading memory.

Thanks to the hard work and collaboration with @KenFerrante and our public safety officers, I’m pleased that the unsanctioned “Leprechaun” event is continuing to lose steam and is a far cry from the destruction of previous years. https://t.co/HLSFbQ0w5t

— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) March 8, 2020

A number of proposals have been put forward for restoring a more controlled Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day celebration—involving a world-class cultural event on Pier A, with bars and restaurants ultimately benefiting from a steady surge in foot traffic all day long, rather than the tsunami of green that crashes against their doors as early as 8:00 a.m. for LepreCon.

But that vision has failed to materialize over the past 8 years.

**OPINION: The Strong Case for Restoring the Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade***

Slán go fóill, Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day…

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