TOWN OF ERIN — The Town of Erin is hosting its 43rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Friday, March 17 and will feature entertainment throughout the day.
The parade is set to begin at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Highway K and Shamrock Lane before it travels north, ending at Highway 167. Highway K will be closed for the parade starting at 10 a.m., so parade goers are encouraged to arrive prior to that in order to secure parking along the route.
Derek Wilcox is the owner of Erin Inn Irish Pub, 6102 Donegal Road, Town of Hartford, and the parade chairman.
Wilcox said that there will be around 25 to 30 floats in the parade this year, and the day-long party will begin early and extend past the conclusion of the parade.
"We’re going to have a huge party all day," said Wilcox. "We’ll open at 7:30 a.m. We will be having The Scrubbers, a popular Milwaukee-based Irish rock band, playing from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to get the party started. Then, after that, the parade will go past the bar, and we’ll all get excited about that."
There will be a party atmosphere both inside and outside of the Erin Inn Irish Pub.
After opening at 7:30 a.m., guests will have access to a 75-foot bar and a space for dancing outside of Erin Inn.
Inside, guests can enjoy a wraparound bar and food options. The BBQ Company will be providing meal options and food with an Irish twist, including Irish tacos, corned pork and Guinness beer brats, along with a few other surprises.
After the parade, popular Milwaukee-area DJ, DJ Quadi, will provide the party music.
DJ Quadi famously provided music for the more than 100,000 people who flooded the Deer District in Milwaukee after the Buck’s won the NBA championship in 2021, according to Wilcox.
“It’ll be a party inside and outside,” said Wilcox.
As in past years, the event is geared towards adults.
The party will likely extend to the Town of Erin’s two other bars, JC’s Corner & Grill, 1855 WI-83, Hartford, and Down Slope Pub, 1701 County Road CC, Hartford.
As is tradition, the Town of Erin will also feature a king and queen of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
This year, two couples are in competition for the king and queen positions. The requirements for nomination were that participants had to be a couple, over 21-yearsold and not married yet.
Public voting has been taking place since Friday, March 3, at the Town of Erin’s three bars and will end on Friday, March 10. People were allowed one vote per bar per day.
The winning couple will be given a coronation ceremony at the Erin Inn Irish Pub on Sunday, March 12 at 2 p.m., which should be its own small party, according to Wilcox.
“We pack the bar,” said Wilcox. “We have a Master of Ceremonies. They deliver a satire-filled monologue full of comedy. It’s a lot of fun. People really get a kick out of it.”
The couple will receive outfits and get their picture taken.
The pictures will be up at the Erin Inn along with past winners. The winning couple will also, of course, be featured in the parade with their own float.
