Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day Parade; Shamrock Club ready to celebrate

MILWAUKEE - Consider it the luck of the Irish. Snow will not stop this weekend's St. Patrick's Day parade which kicks off Saturday, March 11 at noon. 

"Although the conditions outside the last 24 hours were less than spring like, when you plan events in March you get used to dealing with all weather conditions," said Stacie Callies, Westown Association Executive Director.

The Irish are not letting the latest snowfall get in the way of the 55th Shamrock Club of Wisconsin St. Patrick's Day Parade. 

"DPW is working hard to get the streets all over the city and the parade route clean," said Mike Boyle, Shamrock Club of Wisconsin Parade Director.

FOX6 News drove the parade route on Friday, March 10 to see how the Milwaukee streets fared after the winter storm. The streets and sidewalks along the route are mostly clear. Snow is mostly piled along the curb – and it's leaving puddles as it melts.

"As long as it’s not raining, it’s going to be a beautiful day," said Kathy Avery, Parade Marshall.

Husband and wife, John and Kathy Avery, are this year's parade marshalls. They say they are not worried about the snow. 

"I was with two of the Irishmen of the year, and yesterday we were hanging out doing our float yesterday, and they said they’ve seen a lot worse than this and the parade goes on. So I got no problem," said John Avery, Parade Marshall.

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You can expect the parade to include Irish dance groups and floats. Do not forget about the post-parade party at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center.

"That runs from 1 until 5 pm. Irish dancers, music, food and drink are available," Boyle said.

Perhaps the three most important things to remember if you plan to join the celebration…

"Everyone is invited, everyone’s going to have a good time, and everyone will be Irish," said Preston Cole, Milwaukee’s Department of Administration Director.

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St. Patrick's Day is Friday, Mach 17. Milwaukee ranked 20th on WalletHub's list of best cities to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. WalletHub took into consideration St. Patrick's Day traditions, costs, safety, accessibility, and weather.

Parade details

The parade steps off at North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Wisconsin Avenue ending at Water Street and Highland Avenue.

Full schedule of events is as follows:

• Parade Press Conference & Entertainment: Fri., March 10 at noon at the 3rd St. Market Hall, 275 W Wisconsin Avenue Noon – Beglan Academy of Irish dance performs 12:15 p.m. – Press conference featuring local dignitaries & honorees
• Noon – Beglan Academy of Irish dance performs
• 12:15 p.m. – Press conference featuring local dignitaries & honorees
• ShamROCK Kick-off Party: Fri., March 10 at 5:30 to 11 p.m. at Lucky Clover Irish Pub, 1048 N MLK Dr. This free event will have live music and a variety of raffle prizes available. Raffle tickets will be sold during the event until 7:15 p.m. Full list of raffle prizes can be found at saintpatricksparade.org. 5:30 p.m. – Performance by Ian Gould 7:30 p.m. – Announcement of raffle winners 8 p.m. – Performance by Pat McCurdy
• This free event will have live music and a variety of raffle prizes available. Raffle tickets will be sold during the event until 7:15 p.m. Full list of raffle prizes can be found at saintpatricksparade.org.
• 5:30 p.m. – Performance by Ian Gould
• 7:30 p.m. – Announcement of raffle winners
• 8 p.m. – Performance by Pat McCurdy
• 36th Annual Mass in Honor of St. Patrick: Sat., March 11 at 8:30 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 723 W Washington St.
• 55th Shamrock Club of Wisconsin St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Sat., March 11 at noon in downtown Milwaukee Parade steps off at N MLK Dr. and W Wisconsin Ave., traveling through downtown Milwaukee before ending at Water St. and Highland Ave. Full route and street closures can be found at saintpatricksparade.org. Thanks to Interstate Parking, those coming downtown for the Parade are encouraged to take advantage of $3 parking rate at The Avenue structure (entrances at 615 N Plankinton Ave. and 258 W Michigan St.). Please also consider using ride share services or public transit such as The Hop and MCTS to travel safely and responsibly.
• Parade steps off at N MLK Dr. and W Wisconsin Ave., traveling through downtown Milwaukee before ending at Water St. and Highland Ave. Full route and street closures can be found at saintpatricksparade.org.
• Thanks to Interstate Parking, those coming downtown for the Parade are encouraged to take advantage of $3 parking rate at The Avenue structure (entrances at 615 N Plankinton Ave. and 258 W Michigan St.). Please also consider using ride share services or public transit such as The Hop and MCTS to travel safely and responsibly.
• Shamrock Club Post-Parade Party: Sat., March 11 from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Irish Cultural & Heritage Center, 2133 W Wisconsin Ave. The fun doesn’t stop after the parade. Celebrate with the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin with Irish entertainment for the entire family. It’s the most Irish thing you can do in Milwaukee! More details are available at mkepostparade.us. Adults (over 12): $8; Family (3 or more adults): $20.
• The fun doesn’t stop after the parade. Celebrate with the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin with Irish entertainment for the entire family. It’s the most Irish thing you can do in Milwaukee! More details are available at mkepostparade.us.
• Adults (over 12): $8; Family (3 or more adults): $20.

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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 event features over 120 units including Irish dance groups, pipe and drum corps, decorative floats and more. Visit saintpatricksparade.org for more details on the festivities.