Downtown Milwaukee, Town of Erin St. Patrick's Day parades canceled because of coronavirus concern
another event bites the dust. says it may be rescheduled.
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Downtown Milwaukee, Town of Erin St. Patrick's Day parades canceled because of coronavirus concern
Jordyn Noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 12:10 p.m. CT March 12, 2020 | Updated 2:24 p.m. CT March 12, 2020
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The Glencastle Irish Dancers dance to Irish music and engage the crowd during the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Milwaukee March 9, 2019. (Photo: Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Both the town of Erin and the downtown Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day parades have been canceled, as the novel coronavirus spreads across the country and the number of cases grows in Wisconsin.
Milwaukee organizers announced Thursday morning that they would cancel the parade, and Erin announced it would cancel by the afternoon.
The Town of Erin parade, which is possibly bigger than Milwaukee's parade, is an economic booster for the small town.
"A lot of bars and restaurants rely on the parade for a boost in their business and will definitely take a big hit if we don't have the parade," said Derek Wilcox, Erin parade chairman. "But we also want to make sure everyone is safe and we’re not contributing to the spread of the virus."