St. Patrick’s Day Parade Will March Through Downtown

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

Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend! While the holiday technically lands on Tuesday, March 17, there’s still plenty to do this weekend. The annual Shamrock Club of Wisconsin‘s St. Patrick’s Day parade will travel through Downtown and feature Irish dancers, floats, musicians and more. Wisconsin’s only horror convention will take over the Baird Center, and Dark Star Orchestra will perform Grateful Dead hits.

March 13-15: Milwaukee Horror Con

Why wait until Halloween to celebrate all things spooky when you can hang out at Milwaukee Horror Con on a weekend that starts with Friday the 13th? Wisconsin’s only horror convention will bring all of the scares to the Baird Center for a weekend filled with horror-themed merchandise, panels, movie premiers and more. Meet horror movie icons such as CJ Graham and Naomi Grossman and stick around for the costume contest on Sunday. Milwaukee Horror Con will run from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit the Milwaukee Horror Con’s website.

March 13-22: ‘Julius Caesar’

While the month of March brings hints of spring for most, it brings betrayal for Julius Caesar. First Stage has picked an appropriate time for its production of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, a story of loyalty, honor and betrayal. The approximately one-hour-and-forty-five-minute play will take place at the Milwaukee Youth Center’s Goodman Mainstage Hall. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the First Stage website.

March 13: Dark Star Orchestra

Fans of the Grateful Dead don’t have to wait until the band embarks on its next tour to hear their favorite jams live. Dark Star Orchestra has been performing Grateful Dead songs for over 30 years, allowing fans both young and old to relive iconic and experience new setlists from the band. Original Grateful Dead members like Bob Weir have even been known to make an appearance on stage with the band. Dark Star Orchestra will perform at The Riverside Theater starting at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Pabst Theater Group’s website.

March 14: Bike Bazaar

The 17th edition of the Bike Bazaar will bring vendors selling new and used bikes, parts and accessories to the MKE REC Riverside Community Center. Guests can shop all things bike-related as well as check out a variety of arts and crafts vendors. General admission is $6 for adults and $4 for students. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted for free. The Bike Bazaar will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

March 14: Shamrock Club of Wisconsin St. Patrick’s Day Parade

So you’ve made your plans for corned beef and pints of Guinness, but don’t forget about the annual Shamrock Club of Wisconsin St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Over 100 units including Irish dancers, festive floats, Irish wolfhounds and more will travel along the mile-and-a-half-long route through Downtown. The parade will begin at noon at the intersection of W. Wisconsin Ave. and N. Martin Luther King Dr. and will end at the intersection of E. Highland Ave. and N. Water St.

March 15: Keg Stand Up

Lakefront Brewery will make the transformation from taproom to standup comedy club for the evening, featuring performances from both local and national acts. While the brewery’s usual full lineup of craft beer will be available for purchase, its kitchen will be closed. A selection of snacks will be available for purchase at the bar. Keg Stand Up will run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 day of show.