St. Patrick's list of festivities in Milwaukee

By: CBS58 Staff

Posted: Mar 13, 2015 5:00 PM CST

The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin's 49th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will make its return to Downtown Milwaukee on Saturday, March 14th 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.

Parade Director Michael Boyle was on the CBS 58 morning news reminding viewers that Milwaukee is a very Irish town and that attention need not only go to Chicago and Boston around the holiday.

Building on a successful partnership, the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin and the Westown Association, along with presenting sponsor Killian's Irish Stout, are collaborating on Wisconsin's oldest and largest St. Patrick's Day celebration. Although the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin is celebrating its 49th 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 140 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 11th: Ian Gould

Thursday, March 12th: Jeff Ward

Friday, March 13th: Cashel Dennehy School of Irish Dance

12:15pm - Press conference featuring local dignitaries including Mayor Tom Barrett, Common Council President Michael Murphy and Alderman Bob Donovan.

12:30pm - Jake's Deli Corned Beef Eating Contest: 3rd Annual Corned Beef Eating Contest- Contestants will duel it out to see who can consume the most corned beef in eight minutes!

Saturday, March 14th: 11:30am-2:30pm- Frogwater

ShamROCK in Westown: Friday, March 13th- 5:30-11pm

St. Patrick's Kick-Off Party

Miller Time Pub & Grill, 509 W. Wisconsin Avenue

Entertainment by Ian Gould & Pat McCurdy

Free to the public

Announcement of Raffle Winners

49th Annual Shamrock Club of Wisconsin's St. Patrick's Day Parade: Saturday, March 14th- 12pm

30th Annual St. Patrick Mass: Saturday March 14th – 8:30am

St. Patrick's Church, 723 W Washington St.

Shamrock Club Post-Parade Party: Saturday, March 14th- 1-6pm

Milwaukee's largest family parade day party