St. Patrick's Day may technically be a week away – but why not start celebrating early? That's the plan throughout Downtown this weekend as the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will take off on Saturday, March 9, spreading green cheer and drinking much better than green beer throughout the day.

“The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of Milwaukee’s oldest traditions, and we have an exciting event in store for you this year,” said Mike Boyle, Parade Director of the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin, in a release. “Although Milwaukee is known for its German heritage, the Irish community also has deep roots in the city. We look forward to celebrating the Celtic culture with you on March 9!”

But to help make sure you're green with Irish pride this weekend, rather than green with anger at some parking snafu, towed car or intense case of FOMO, here's everything you need to know about this year's St. Patrick's Day parade festivities – from the parade route to street closures, to the official parties held before and after the celebrations step off. 

Where and when is the parade?

Stepping off at noon, the St. Patrick's Day parade will take its usual route on Saturday through Downtown Milwaukee, starting at North MLK Drive and West Wisconsin Avenue before winding down Plankinton Avenue, Kilbourn Avenue, back on North MLK Drive, crossing the river on Juneau Drive and finally wrapping at the intersection of Water Street and Highland Avenue.Here's the official map of this year's route: 

X

This year's parade will feature more than 200 dancers, drum corps, pipers, floats and more – including 2024 honorees Irishman of the Year Dan Stotmeister, Irish Rose Gail Hettrick and Parade Marshall Dan Schlitz – marching throughout Milwaukee. 

And to pay early homage to the holy man at the center of this festive day, there will also be a mass in honor of St. Patrick hosted on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. at (of course) St. Patrick’s Church, found at 723 W Washington St.

What streets are closed?

Whether you're attending the St. Patrick's Day Parade or you're just passing through Downtown on Saturday, you'll want to know which streets will be off-limits so you don't ring in the festivities with some road rage. Here are the streets that'll be closed off for the parade and when they'll be unavailable.

Closed at 10 a.m.

• West Wisconsin Avenue, from North MLK Drive to North 6th Street
• North MLK Drive, from West Wells Street to West Wisconsin Avenue (access to the 310W Parking Structure will still be available)
• North Vel R. Phillips Avenue, from West Wells Street to West Clybourn Street (West Michigan Street will remain open to traffic)
• North 3rd Street, from West Michigan Street to West Everett Street
• West Everett Street, from North 3rd Street to North Vel R. Phillips Avenue

Closed at 11:45 a.m.

• West Wisconsin Avenue, from MLK Drive to North Plankinton Avenue
• North Plankinton Avenue, from West Wisconsin Avenue to West Kilbourn Avenue
• West Kilbourn Avenue, from North Plankinton Avenue to North MLK Drive
• North MLK Drive, from West Kilbourn Avenue to West Juneau Avenue
• West Juneau Avenue, from North MLK Drive to North Water Street
• North Water Street, from East Juneau Avenue to East Highland Avenue

Closed around 1 p.m.

• North Water Street, from East Highland Avenue to East State Street
• East Highland Avenue, from North Broadway to North Edison Street

All streets are expected to open back up on Saturday around 2:30 p.m. For more information, visit the St. Patrick's Day Parade's website.

Where can (and can't) I park?

The St. Patrick's Day Parade fun and festivities will begin bright and early on Saturday – and unfortunately so will the "no parking" signs, posted along the parade route beginning at 7 a.m., with towing beginning shortly after. 

To help avoid that damper on your St. Patty's Day parade, The Avenue will offer a special $3 rate between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday. The entrances to The Avenue parking structure can be found at 615 N. Plankinton Ave. as well as 258 W. Michigan St. For more information on nearby parking options, check Interstate Parking's website.

Of course, the best way to avoid parking putzery on Saturday ... is to avoid driving and parking, period. So the St. Patrick's Day Parade also recommends using a ride-share option this weekend or hopping on board public transit like The Hop or an MCTS bus – which is also a terrific idea for St. Patrick's Day itself a week from now, with Miller Free Rides returning for Saturday, March 15. For more information, click here.

What's happening before and after?

Of course, the parade itself is just a part of the annual Downtown St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The festivities will technically begin the night before – Friday, March 8 – with the annual ShamROCK kick-off party, featuring live music from Ian Gould, drink specials, raffles (including Brewers Opening Day tickets!) and more at Lucky Clover, found at 1048 N Doctor M.L.K. Jr Drive, from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. The pre-party is free and open to the public.

Then, to keep the cheer going after all the ceremonial strutting through the streets, the Shamrock Club will host its post-parade party at the Irish Cultural & Heritage Center, opening its doors at 1:30 p.m. and running until 6 p.m. The post-parade festivities will come complete with even more dance and music, even more raffles, even more delicious food and drink, and even more community. Admission is required for the event, with entry costing $10 for an individual adult ticket and $25 for a family, with kids under 12 allowed in for free. Tickets are available at this website along with the full schedule of entertainment throughout the party.

Where can I find more information?

For more information on this year's parade and all of the fun and festivities surrounding it, check out the St. Patrick's Day parade's official site – and may the luck of the Irish be with you all this festive weekend!