Milwaukee Saint Patrick's Day Parade facts for kids
The Milwaukee Saint Patrick's Day Parade is a super fun event that happens every year in downtown Milwaukee! It's always held on the Saturday before Saint Patrick's Day. The parade is put on by the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin, a group that loves Irish culture. In 2022, they celebrated their 54th parade!
This parade is just one part of a whole week of exciting Irish events. The Shamrock Club and its partner, Westown Association, team up to make it all happen. There are Irish gatherings at The Avenue, and a cool "SHAM-Rock the Avenue" party at the Miller Time Pub. On parade day, there's a special Mass to honor Saint Patrick at Saint Patrick's Church. After the parade, everyone can go to the Shamrock Club's "Post Parade Party" at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center. It's the biggest family event of the day, with lots of stages, dance schools, bands, and even a special area just for kids! MKE Post Parade Party
The parade route is about one and a half miles long and takes about 90 minutes to complete. It starts near 6th and Wisconsin, officially kicking off at North Martin Luther King Drive (which used to be Old World Third Street) and Wisconsin. It then winds through downtown, going to Plankinton Avenue, back to MLK Drive, east on Juneau to Water Street, and finally ends on Highland Avenue.
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History of the Parade
The very first Saint Patrick's Day parade in Milwaukee happened a long, long time ago, on March 17, 1843! It was organized by city officials and leaders from the Catholic Church. The city officials wanted Milwaukee to become more important than other towns like Green Bay. Catholic leaders hoped Milwaukee would become a major center for the church in the United States.
A Swiss German priest named Father Martin Kundig was a big supporter of the parade idea. He was a very strong and interesting person, according to a book written about him.
The first parade started on what is now East Wells Street and Van Buren. It traveled north on Van Buren, west on what is now State Street, then south on Jackson Street, and back to Wells Street. They circled the church of St. Peter, which was the main church downtown back then. A founder of Milwaukee, Solomon Juneau, was the parade's leader!
By 1844, Milwaukee became a very important center for the Catholic Church in Wisconsin. This was a big win for Milwaukee over other French-speaking areas like Green Bay, Wisconsin and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The new bishop, John Henni, bought land near where the first parade started to build the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Milwaukee).
Parade Returns in 1967
After a long break, the parade came back in 1967! It started at the Lincoln Memorial Bridge, near the Milwaukee Art Museum, and marched west along Wisconsin Avenue. It ended at the Milwaukee Public Library. But this route only lasted one year! People found that the strong winds blowing from west to east made it hard to carry banners and flags.
So, in 1968, they changed the route! The parade started at the Milwaukee Public Library and marched east along Wisconsin Avenue. It finished at the Milwaukee County War Memorial. A special viewing stand was set up at Water and Wisconsin, in front of the Marine National Bank (now BMO Harris) Plaza.
In 1973, the city decided to rebuild the Wisconsin Avenue Bridge over the Milwaukee River. This project would take two years, so the Shamrock Club had to find a new home for the parade.
Moving to Mitchell Street
For the 1974 parade, organizers were invited to move the event to Mitchell Street on the South Side of Milwaukee. This street was named after Alexander Mitchell, a pioneer from Scotland. Mitchell Street was a busy shopping area with many stores. The local business group hoped the parade would help bring new life to the street.
The parade started on First Street and Orchard, near the Allen-Bradley (now Rockwell International) headquarters. It marched down First Street to Mitchell Street, and then up Mitchell to 13th Street. Lots of people came to watch the parade in this area, which was home to many Polish and Mexican families.
In 1977, Danny O'Donoghue stepped down as the parade leader. Jeanne McCue took over, becoming the first woman to lead the parade. She was later recognized for her amazing work helping during the Bosnian War, using her skills as a nurse.
In 1978, Catherine "Cate" Harris, another longtime Shamrock Club member, became the parade leader. She also helped organize volunteers for the Holiday Folk Fair. There were still many Irish families living near Saint Patrick Parish, which is where the yearly Mass in Honor of St. Patrick is held on parade day.
After Cate Harris, Chuck Ward became the parade leader. He was a big part of the Nash's Irish Castle Kazoo Band and an Irish music band called Blarney. He also helped organize the Milwaukee Irish Fest.
North Avenue Parade
In 1985, the parade moved again, this time to North Avenue. It stretched from 53rd Street in Milwaukee to 74th Street in Wauwatosa. The parade started on the playground of Steuben Middle School. The mayors of both Milwaukee and Wauwatosa joined the parade every year!
While the parade was on North Avenue, the committee held a window decorating contest for businesses along the route. Stores decorated their windows with leprechauns, shamrocks, and colorful displays. After the parade, a party was held at Pius XI Grade School. Later, the party moved to the Wauwatosa Civic Center. Both of Milwaukee's Irish dance schools, Trinity Academy of Irish Dance and Cashel Dennehy Irish Dancers, performed at these parties.
However, some business owners on North Avenue complained that they lost money on parade day. The streets were closed for hours, and many parade-goers would leave right after the event without shopping. So, organizers started looking for a new location.
Bluemound Road Parade
In 2001, the parade moved to Bluemound Road. This route also crossed both Milwaukee and Wauwatosa. Derry Hegarty, an Irish pub owner and former Shamrock Club president, helped make this move happen. His pub, Derry Hegarty's Irish Pub, was one of many Irish pubs on Bluemound Road excited to host the event.
The parade started at 70th Street and ended at 51st Street. However, there were some money problems with the co-sponsor, the Bluemound Business Advancement Association. They wanted to pay less than what was agreed upon, so the Shamrock Club decided to look for another place.
Return to Downtown Milwaukee
Meanwhile, the Westown Business Development group in downtown Milwaukee had been holding their own small Saint Patrick's Day parade. Not many people attended, so they were looking for ways to make it bigger. They suggested teaming up with the Shamrock Club. After some talks, the two groups agreed to bring the parade back downtown in 2002.
The parade returned to downtown Milwaukee in 2002. The first route went from 6th and Wisconsin, east to Water Street, north on Water Street, and west on Juneau Avenue to Old World Third Street, then to Wells and Plankinton. In 2004, the route changed slightly. It went north on Plankinton Avenue to Old World Third Street, then to Juneau, east to Water Street, and ended at Highland Boulevard. This change happened because the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts asked for it, as the parade was blocking access to their Saturday shows. The parade now officially starts at the Shops of Grand Avenue on 3rd and Wisconsin.
Mike Boyle returned to help lead the parade in 2009, with his daughters Erin and Meghan. From 2012 to 2013, Mike Boyle and Denis Donohoe directed the parade. Killian's Irish Red was a main sponsor for several years. Josh Walton took over in 2014, and Michael Boyle returned to lead the parade in 2015, and still does today.
2018 Parade
The 2018 parade was the 52nd annual event. It took place on Saturday, March 10, 2018. It started at noon at 3rd Street (now called Martin Luther King Jr Drive) and Wisconsin. The parade route went from 3rd and Wisconsin to Plankinton, north to Old World Third Street, then to Juneau Avenue, and down to Water Street, ending at Highland Avenue. This year was special because it was the 175th anniversary of the very first St. Patrick's Parade in Milwaukee! The Archbishop, Jerome Listecki, was the Grand Marshal and led the special Mass.
2019 Parade
The 2019 parade was the 53rd annual event, held on March 9. A total of 110 groups marched in the parade that day!
2020 Parade Canceled
On March 10, 2020, the Shamrock Club, Westown, and the City of Milwaukee made the tough decision to cancel the 54th Annual Parade. This was due to worries about COVID-19.
"Keeping everyone safe and healthy is always our top concern," said Stacie Callies, the director of Westown Association. "This was a hard choice, but we all want to do our part to stop the spread of the illness. We made this decision because we care about the 30,000 people who come downtown to celebrate with us every year."
Mike Boyle, the parade director for the Shamrock Club, agreed. "This was a challenging decision because of all the planning and work that went into this event, which was also supposed to be the Shamrock Club's 60th Anniversary," he said. "We want to thank all our sponsors, participants, volunteers, and everyone who supports the event and this decision." [1]
Organizers hoped to hold the parade later that year, but by July 2020, no new date had been chosen due to ongoing COVID-19 issues.
Planned Return in September 2021 (Delayed Again)
In January 2021, the Shamrock Club and Westown decided to move the parade to September 25, 2021. They called it a "Halfway to St. Patrick's Day" celebration! This date was chosen so it wouldn't conflict with the delayed Summerfest celebration. However, because of a rise in COVID-19 cases and the Omicron variant, the parade was delayed again, this time to March 12, 2022. This decision was made in late August 2021.
Before that second delay, Mike Boyle had said: "Even though we're sad we can't have the parade in March, we easily made this decision with everyone's health and safety in mind." [2]
He also added, "We're excited to have our first ever Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Parade in September, as long as public health conditions allow. But for that to happen, everyone needs to keep following COVID-19 safety rules." [3]
2022 Parade
The parade finally returned to its regular March schedule in 2022, after a two-year break! It was held at noon on March 12, 2022, starting at Martin Luther King Drive (the former Old World Third Street) and going to Highland and Water Streets. Michael Boyle continued to be the parade director.
The annual Post Parade Party that day included five bands, four dance schools, a storyteller, and an Irish comedian at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center of Milwaukee. [4]
Parade Directors
Over the years, many people have helped lead the Milwaukee Saint Patrick's Day Parade:
- Danny O'Donoghue
- Jeanne McCue
- Cate Harris
- Chuck Ward
- Michael Boyle
- Mick McDermott and Tim O'Brien
- Dan Malloy
- Mike O'Leary and Mark Smith
- Kristine Carrig Pluskota and Denis Donohoe
- Michael Boyle, Meghan Boyle and Erin Hennen
- Josh Walton
- Michael Boyle
