Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee’s St. Patrick’s Day parade returning this year

- Hannah Kirby

Milwaukee’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is back this year after two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin and Westown Associatio­n announced in a Monday news release.

The 54th Shamrock Club of Wisconsin St. Patrick’s Day Parade, presented by Miller Lite, will return at noon on March 12.

“We are thrilled to bring the St. Patrick’s Day Parade back to downtown’s streets and celebrate our city’s rich Irish heritage,” Mike Boyle, Shamrock Club of Wisconsin parade director, said in the news release. “After a few years away, we are planning a very special event and know families will be delighted to see the return of one of Milwaukee’s favorite traditions.”

The event features more than 120 units, including Irish dance groups, pipe and drum corps, local celebritie­s and dignitarie­s, and more, according to the news release.

The beloved Milwaukee Dancing Grannies plan to perform at the parade and will be honored, along with the other victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy, the news release said.

“Our hearts go out to the victims of the Waukesha Christmas Parade,” Boyle said in the news release. “It is our intention to stage a safe event for our performers and guests, and we are working closely with city officials to review safety procedures for the event.”

First responders will also be honored for their service throughout the pandemic, and the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin’s 2022 honorees will be recognized.

The parade will start at North King Drive and West Wisconsin Avenue and end at Water Street and Highland Avenue.

The city’s first recorded St. Patrick’s Day parade, in 1843, was in part a temperance rally, according to a previous Journal Sentinel report.

For more informatio­n on this year’s parade, visit

 ?? RICK WOOD/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL ?? The Glencastle Irish Dancers, from Franklin, dance and engage the crowd during The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin’s 53rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2019 — the last time the parade was held in Milwaukee.
RICK WOOD/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL The Glencastle Irish Dancers, from Franklin, dance and engage the crowd during The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin’s 53rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2019 — the last time the parade was held in Milwaukee.

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