MILWAUKEE – The 58th Shamrock Club of Wisconsin St. Patrick’s Day Parade makes its festive return to downtown’s entertainments districts on Saturday, March 14 at noon. The Parade steps off at North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Wisconsin Avenue, traveling a mile-and-a-half long route before ending on North Water Street and Highland Avenue.
In celebration of Milwaukee’s Irish heritage, the event features over 100 units including Irish dancers, pipe and drum groups, decorative floats, local dignitaries and more. An estimated 40,000 spectators attend the Parade and support downtown’s bars, restaurants and hotels throughout the weekend.
“Downtown Milwaukee is home to Wisconsin’s largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, driving thousands of people to the Westown neighborhood on Parade day to patronize our local businesses,” said Stacie Callies, Executive Director of Westown Association. “Events like the Parade and Shamrock Shuffle provide an important boost to the local economy, especially coming off a cold winter when foot traffic tends to be slow.”
This year, Westown Association and the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin embarked on a new signature partnership with Guinness, Ireland’s iconic beverage and the world’s most popular stout.
“The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin is thrilled to continue this special tradition of celebrating Irish culture in Milwaukee, and we couldn’t think of a better partner than Guinness to support these efforts,” said Mike Boyle, Parade Director of the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin. “We look forward to raising a pint with you on Saturday, March 14!”
Additional supporting sponsors of the Parade include Gruber Law Offices, Jameson, Lucky Clover Irish Pub, Mo’s Irish Pub, Peoples State Bank, VISIT Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Center District.
Milwaukee’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations start on Saturday, March 7 with the Shamrock Shuffle, a pub crawl which spans across four Milwaukee neighborhoods. Then, start your Parade celebrations at the ShamROCK Kick-off Party on Friday, March 13 at the Lucky Clover Irish Pub (1048 N MLK Dr.) from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and features live music, beverage specials and dozens of raffle prizes. Additional special events are to be announced.
The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the oldest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the nation, dating back to 1843. The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin has produced the parade since 1967 and has been in partnership with Westown Association since 2002.
Visit saintpatricksparade.org for more information on the festivities and to see photos from past Parades.
