Milwaukee's Postponed St. Patrick's Day Party Planned For September

Milwaukee’s iconic Shamrock Shuffle isn’t happening on St. Patrick’s Day this year (thanks, Covid), but it’s not canceled.

The bar crawl drew more than 10,000 last year, on March 7, 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The tradition has been drawing thousands since it started in 2010 (as Shamrock Stumble Pub Crawl), and is usually held before St. Patrick’s Day, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Wednesday (March 17).

But attendees aren’t out of luck.

Michael Sampson, who owns Swarmm Events, told the Journal Sentinel in an email that organizers pushed the Shamrock Shuffle back to September. By then, they hope “that more people will be vaccinated and the city of Milwaukee will be open for business…the [bar and restaurant] industry will need any events and holidays to get themselves back on their feet and pay their bills” after taking hits because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Shamrock Shuffle is slated for September 18.

According to the Journal Sentinel, tickets will be available online beginning June 1.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported more than 570,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday, the latest data available. More than 3,200,000 people have been tested, data show.

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