St. Patrick’s Day Parade Steps Off Saturday

St. Patrick’s Day parade. Photo courtesy of the Shamrock Club/Westown.

This weekend is full of events in Milwaukee that celebrate our city’s eclectic history and diverse heritage. For example, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will travel through downtown on Saturday with a post-parade party happening at The Irish Cultural & Heritage Center. On top of that, Carnival Milwaukee will celebrate cultures from all over the globe with a showcase of vendors, live music, dancing and plenty of food. Also, it’s International Women’s Day on Friday, and there are many different breweries empowering and recognizing the women in the beer industry.

March 7-10: The Nō Studios Filmmaker Showcase

In celebration of the upcoming Oscar Night, Nō Studios is giving local and regional filmmakers the chance to show their works free of charge. Filmmakers will introduce and answer questions about their films, giving audience members insight into small works that might not otherwise be readily available. Thursday will focus on animation, comedy and music; Friday will focus on student and short films and Saturday and Sunday will focus on documentaries. To close out the weekend, Nō Studios will host an Oscar Night Watch Party starting at 5 p.m. where guests can fill out their own nomination ballots and win a prize if they guess correctly. Food and drink will be available via The Gallery at No Studios. Ticket prices vary. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Nō Studios website.

March 8-10: Anime Milwaukee 

Whether you casually enjoy films like My Neighbor Totoro or you’ve watched all 1096 episodes of One Piece, there’s something for anime enthusiasts of all levels at Anime Milwaukee. The three-day event started as a college anime club meeting and has now grown into an event that claims it brings an estimated economic impact of $3.1 million to the downtown Milwaukee area. Check out the numerous vendors set up in the showroom selling anime-related wares, or attend one of the many panels featuring voice actors, creators, cosplayers and more. Anime Milwaukee will takes place at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center and Baird Center. Weekend passes are $80. Single-day tickets are $50 for Friday, $60 for Saturday and $45 for Sunday. Visit the Anime Milwaukee website for more information.

March 8: Carnival Milwaukee

Carnival Milwaukee is highlighting the small businesses, individuals and cultural gems that make this city unique with an event that celebrates the traditions of Carnival Brazil, Mardi Gras and Fasching. The event will feature global cuisine from various Milwaukee chefs and restaurants, dance performances and lessons and live music from De La Buena and Samba Da Vida. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in cultural attire to represent and show off their heritage. Carnival Milwaukee will take place at the Historic Pritzlaff Building from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased on the UEDA’s website.

March 8: Cafe Centraal Celebrates International Women’s Day

March 8 is International Women’s Day, and Cafe Centraal is celebrating by hosting an evening dedicated to celebrating and empowering women. The restaurant’s March curation features five biers either inspired by or brewed by women, including Lady Lupulin by 3 Sheeps Brewing, Pragueress by Revolution Brewing, Le Terroir by New Belgium and more. Guests will have the chance to hear stories from Rochelle Britt of New Glarus Brewing Company and Ileana Rivera from Lowlands Group. Live music will be provided by Reyna, and $1 from every bier or curation purchased will be donated to the Sojourner Truth House. Cafe Centraal’s International Women’s Night will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

March 8-9: St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The Shamrock Club of Wisconsin is putting on its 56th St. Patrick’s Day Parade with a post-parade party to follow at the Irish Cultural & Heritage Center. The festivities will kick off the day before at noon at the 3rd Street Market Hall with a performance by the Glencastle Irish Dancers. The party will then move to Lucky Clover Irish Pub starting at 5:30 p.m., featuring live music and a variety of raffles. The following day at noon, the parade will step off at N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and W. Wisconsin Aveanue. and will travel through Downtown before ending at N. Water Street and E. Highland Avenue. Then, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the post-parade party will feature entertainment for the entire family at the Irish Cultural & Heritage Center. For more information, visit the St. Patrick’s Day Parade website.

March 9-10: PBR: Unleash the Beast

When Milwaukeeans hear “PBR,” their first thought is probably beer. However, this weekend that acronym stands for Professional Bull Riding as the top 40 bull riders in the world perform at Fiserv Forum. Billed as “…one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness,” this event is part of a 23-event season that pits bull riders against one another for the title of 2024 World Champion. PBR: Unleash the Beast will take place at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday and 1:45 p.m. on Sunday. Ticket prices vary and can be purchased on the Fiserv Forum website.