The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin’s 51st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will make its return to Downtown Milwaukee on Saturday, March 11 at Noon.  The parade steps off on Wisconsin Avenue at Old World Third Street and will wind its way through the streets of Downtown Milwaukee.

Building on a successful partnership, the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin and the Westown Association, along with presenting sponsor Miller Lite, are collaborating on Wisconsin’s oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Although the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin is celebrating its 51st anniversary of producing the parade, the event dates back to 1843. It predates the incorporation of the State of Wisconsin and the City of Milwaukee. Milwaukee’s parade is the sixth oldest in the nation. 

This year’s parade will feature over 100+ units including Irish dance groups, pipe and drum corps and local celebrities and dignitaries. The Friends of St. Patrick, in partnership with the Hunger Task Force, will collect non-perishable food donations during the parade. Volunteers will walk the parade route with grocery carts collecting the donated food items.

Along with the parade, the Westown Association has planned a week of Irish entertainment and celebrations. The schedule is as follows:

• Lunch Time Entertainment: The Shops of Grand Avenue, Center Court: 11:30am-1pm
  • Wednesday, March 8th: Ian Gould
  • Thursday, March 9th: Jeff Ward
  • Friday, March 10th: Beglan Academy of Irish Dance
    • 12:15pm - Press conference featuring local dignitaries including Mayor Tom Barrett, Common Council President Michael Murphy, Alderman Bob Bauman and Alderman Bob Donovan.
    • 12:30pm - Jake’s Deli Corned Beef Eating Contest: 5th Annual Corned Beef Eating Contest- Contestants will duel it out to see who can consume the most corned beef in 10 minutes!
  • Saturday, March 11th: 11:30am-2:30pm- Frogwater
• ShamROCK in Westown: Friday, March 10th- 5:30-11pm
  • St. Patrick’s Kick-Off Party
  • Monarch Lounge, 509 W. Wisconsin Avenue
  • Entertainment by Ian Gould & Pat McCurdy
  • Free to the public
  • Announcement of Raffle Winners! 
    
• 51st Annual Shamrock Club of Wisconsin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Saturday, March 11th- 12pm
  
• 32nd Annual St. Patrick Mass: Saturday March 11th – 8:30am
  • St. Patrick’s Church, 723 W Washington St.
•  Shamrock Club Post-Parade Party: Saturday, March 11th- 1-6pm
  • Milwaukee’s largest family-friendly parade day party
  • Irish Cultural & Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Avenue
  • Four stages of entertainment
  • $5 Admission; Family maximum cost is $15. Children 10 & younger free
  • Food and beverages