What to know about Milwaukee's 2024 St. Patrick's Day parade: Road closures, parking, route

Drew Dawson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·3 min read
Mo's Irish Pub seen surrounded by parade-goers during the St. Patrick's Day parade Saturday, March 11, 2023, beginning at North Martin Luther King Drive and West Wisconsin Avenue and ending at Water Street and Highland Avenue in Milwaukee.
Mo's Irish Pub seen surrounded by parade-goers during the St. Patrick's Day parade Saturday, March 11, 2023, beginning at North Martin Luther King Drive and West Wisconsin Avenue and ending at Water Street and Highland Avenue in Milwaukee.

The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin's St. Patrick's Day parade will return to Milwaukee this Saturday.

The annual celebration draws thousands to downtown to experience one of the oldest St. Patrick's Day parades in the country.

Here's what you need to know about the event, parking and road closures.

What time is the St. Patrick's Day parade in Milwaukee?

The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin's 56th St. Patrick's Day parade will be held in downtown Milwaukee starting at noon March 9.

More: Milwaukee's first St. Patrick's Day parade was partly an anti-drinking event. Partly.

What is the Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day parade route?

The parade steps off at North King Drive and West Wisconsin Avenue, heads east on Wisconsin Avenue to Plankinton Avenue, then north to Kilbourn Avenue and up King Drive to Juneau Avenue, then heads east and ends at North Water Street and East Highland Avenue.

The route of the 2024 edition of the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin's St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Milwaukee.
The route of the 2024 edition of the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin's St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Milwaukee.

What streets will be closed for the St. Patrick's Day parade?

For the staging area, the following streets will be closed starting at 10 a.m.:

  • Wisconsin Avenue from Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive to 6th Street

  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive from Wells Street to Wisconsin Ave. (access to 310W Parking Structure will be available)

  • Vel R. Phillips Avenue from Wells Street to Clybourn Street (West Michigan Street will remain open to traffic)

  • 3rd Street from Michigan Street to Everett Street

  • Everett Street from 3rd Street to Vel R. Phillips Avenue

Along the parade route, the following streets will close at 11:45 a.m.

  • Wisconsin Avenue from Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive to Plankinton Avenue

  • Plankinton Avenue from Wisconsin Avenue to Kilbourn Avenue

  • Kilbourn Avenue from Plankinton Avenue to Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive

  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive from Kilbourn Avenue to Juneau Avenue

  • Juneau Avenue from Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive to Water Street

  • Water Street from Juneau Avenue to Highland Avenue

For the de-staging area, the following streets will be closed from approximately 1 to 2:30 p.m.:

  • Water Street from Highland Avenue to East State Street

  • Highland Avenue from Broadway to Edison Street

Can you park along the St. Patrick's Day parade route?

No. The city of Milwaukee will post "No parking" signs along the route. Any car on the parade route at or after 7 a.m. the morning of the parade will be towed.

How many people and floats participate in the Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day parade?

Expected to be in the parade are more than 120 units, including Irish dancers, pipe and drum corps, floats and more. A post-parade party is scheduled at the Irish Cultural & Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave., from 1:30 to 6 p.m.; admission is $10, $25 per family, and free for kids younger than 12. Find info on the post-parade part at mkepostparade.us.

How old is the Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day parade?

According to the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin, the first St. Patrick's Day parade was celebrated on March 17, 1843. The modern version has operated since 1967.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day 2024 parade: Route, road closures, parking