The 31st annual Columbus Day Parade Sunday was the culmination of a long weekend celebrating Italian heritage in the seaside borough, which also hosted a three-day-long Italian festival. Classic cars, marching bands, Italian heritage organizations took part, and two folkloric groups from Italy, Sbandieratori e Musici and Gruppo Folkcloristico Miromagnum, from Emilia Romana and Calabria, respectively, made the trip to march in the parade and perform at the festival.

Gilda Rorro Baldassari, former director of the New Jersey Department of Education's Office of Equal Educational Opportunity and assistant superintendent for human resources with the Trenton school district, was parade grand marshal.