 This Saturday, the luck o' the Irish will be with you at the Downtown Racine St. Patrick's Day Parade. Don your best greens, load up the family and come saturate your senses in Celtic sights, sounds and tastes. Arrive early to get a good seat and stay afterwards to revel in more Irish fun in Downtown Racine.
Have a "blarney great time" waving at nearly 50 parade entries. This year's parade lineup includes Mrs. Wisconsin, Miss Racine, CBS 58's Jessica Tighe, Lance Hill and April Dovorany, Kiss FM's Leigh McNabb, the Racine Raiders and Root River Rollers! You will also experience Irish bagpipers, Irish Wolfhounds, "30 Men in Kilts", local and state politicians and the Racine County Sherriff's Office. These are only a few of the great community groups that will be in this year's parade.
Many thanks to our parade sponsors who help us make this event such a success:
Parade day parking:
- No parking on Main Street or 6th Street from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- Streets will be closed to traffic at 11:30 a.m. and will reopen immediately after the parade.
- There is ample street parking. Normal Saturday parking rules will apply.
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 Celebrate St. Patrick's Day the Downtown Racine Way. Starting Saturday through next Tuesday, many of our Downtown restaurants and pubs have lots planned for you. From special menus and live entertainment to contests and specials, we hope to see you a lot this weekend!
Saturday, March 14th -
Parade day in Downtown Racine. Come early stay late. The weather is going to be great!
Below are a few activities you can do before, and after the parade:
- Indulge in authentic Irish cuisine and new breakfast menu at Ivanhoe's Pub & Eatery starting at 7 a.m. Make a day of it! Catch the Wales vs. Ireland match at 9:30 a.m., and stay for the parade at noon. Then, continue the fun throughout the day and night at the "Hoe."
- Stop at Henry & Wanda's in your kilt by 10 a.m. to be one of the "30 Men in Kilts" that will be showcasing their Irish attire in the parade. They are also serving up breakfast starting at 10 a.m. Stop by to indulge in their shepherd's pie, O'Ruben sliders, Guinness fish and chips and corned beef and cabbage and then stay for the Fall Hazard Band Debut at 8 p.m.
- Stop by Dewey's Restaurant & Sports Bar, Pepi's Pub and Grill, Greg's Pub or Blue Rock Lounge to enjoy some Irish beverages.
- Treat the family to some popcorn or an ice cream cone at the Sugar Shack Sweet Shoppe before the parade starts.
- Seebecks is celebrating their one year anniversary this week and they are offering you a fun shopping promotion starting parade day through March 17th. Stop in their store and pick a coin from their lucky pot of gold to receive a mystery discount off your purchase that day. One per customer. After you stop at Seebeck's continue your shopping fun at our other unique boutiques and galleries. Most stores open at 10 a.m.
- Drop by Monument Square to warm up with some hot chocolate and and indulge in an Irish decorated cookie from Lehmann's Bakery.
- Stop by one of Gorman & Company's properties (The Harbor at State and Main, Belle Harbor Lofts and Mitchell Wagon Factory Lofts) to receive a special water bottle stuffed with a $50* coupon for one of their beautiful, affordable Downtown Racine locations. *Restrictions Apply.
- After the parade, be sure to stop in at McAullife's on the Square to hear the music of Tallymoore from 2 p.m.- 5 p.m. and help them raise money for childhood cancer. At 6 p.m., the 3rd Annual Shaving for Shaymus fundraiser will take place. Participants will shave their hair (or beards) to benefit the Shaymus Guinn Foundation.
- Sing with the best at the Yardarm's Irish sing-a-long, featuring the Jeff Ward Band, from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.
- Stay late and celebrate some more at hot spots like envi ultra lounge and Evelyn's Club Main.
- Stop in Reefpoint Brew House anytime Saturday through Tuesday to indulge in their special St. Patrick's Day menu. Some of your favorite Celtic dishes like shepherd's pie and root soup are among the fare that will be served up over the weekend. While you're at the Brew House, be sure to join in on Grampa Jacks Trivia contest. Because Grampa Jack was Irish, Reefpoint Brew House wants you to give his ale a try and then guess how many barrels of Grampa Jacks beer has been sold at the Brew House in the past year. (St. Patrick's Day 2014 to St. Patrick's day 2015) If you guess correctly, you could win the pot of gold or other great Grampa Jacks prizes. Winners will be determined at 8 p.m. on March 17th.
Sunday, March 15th
- Ivanhoe Pub & Eatery is open for breakfast at 9 a.m. and will be featuring the Italy vs. France rugby match that starts at 10 a.m. If you love music, check out The Pure Drop's Irish Music Session from 4 p.m.- 7 p.m. If you play an instrument, be sure to bring it along and join in the fun! From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., sample Irish whiskey and try some of the select tap beers to get in on the Guinness Jersey Raffle. This raffle begins on Friday the 13th and the drawing will conclude at 7 p.m.
- Are you looking for a new place to try breakfast? May we suggest trying the "Breakfast at the Brew House?" Stop in and see what has everyone talking! Beautiful views and fantastic food are making Reefpoint Brew House the place to be on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Indulge in their chef prepared omelets and carved ham, biscuits and gravy, Brioche French toast, pancakes, sausage, bacon, fresh fruits and sweets table.
Monday, March 16th
- Tantalize your taste buds by joining the fun at the Ivanhoe's Irish Whiskey Tasting from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. This tasting is only $25 and includes 8 spirits with tasting treats.
Tuesday, March 17th
- Ivanhoe is open for breakfast starting at 8 a.m. on St. Patrick's Day. They will be featuring their traditional Irish breakfast and new breakfast menu. Celtic Journey will entertain you with Irish folk music from 9 a.m.- Noon that day.
- McAuliffe's on the Square is hosting their annual St. Patrick's Day Party starting at 10 a.m. There will be drink specials and lots of fun! And, if you get hungry, you can stop next door and order Irish Fare at Vero's International Cuisine. Check out their special menu that awaits you. Dine in or order "to go" to get back to the party at McAuliffe's.
- Stop by the Yardarm to indulge in their infamous Sand Dollar Chips and enjoy the music of The Young Strings from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Then, stay for more Irish entertainment featuring the music of Jeff Ward from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
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COMMUNITY ART
This year's community art project is a civic beautification initiative that strives to engage community members, showcase the beauty of the region, and highlight local and regional artists. Up to 50 original works will be selected. Those selected works will be enlarged and reproduced on light pole banners. The banners will be installed on the light poles throughout downtown from June to October, 2015.
We are still recruiting artists for this exciting project.
Using the theme Celebrate Racine, artists are invited to submit two dimensional entries from the following visual art categories such as digital art, print making, painting and illustration and collage. Appropriate content might include: landmarks, architecture, history, nature traditions, innovations, attractions, landscapes and environment.
Download your artist packet today! Artwork is due on April 3rd.
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CELEBRATING A DECADE OF FUN!
Downtown Racine is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the award-winning First Fridays. To launch this summer-long celebration, the First Fridays committee
hosted a logo contest. Seven artists submitted 16 designs for this commemorative logo contest. The competition was stiff. Every logo submitted was unique and awesome; but the committee had to narrow it down to the top three.
Will you help them select their look for this season?
Visit their Facebook page now through Saturday, March 28th, to help them determine the winning design.
All you need to do is "Like" your favorite design. The logo with the most "Likes" will be selected as the contest's winner.
Please share the post on your Facebook page and invite your friends to vote too.
The winner will be unveiled at this year's First Fridays kick off birthday party on Friday, April 3rd. We hope to see you Downtown on April 3rd and every Friday throughout 2015!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Racine Symphony Orchestra's (RSO) Concert for Fifth Grade Students
Tuesday, March 17 at 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
Grace Church, 3626 Hwy 32
Listen. Learn. Write! Members of the public are invited to attend the Racine Symphony Orchestra's annual Concert for Fifth Grade Students. This interactive concert will include the audience-directed creation of a unique musical composition, which will be played at the end of each program! This is a free concert. Learn more here.
"Orphans of the Genocide"
A film screening & discussion with Director Bared Maronian
March 19th, from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
SC Johnson Golden Rondelle Theater
"Orphans of the Genocide" is an emotional, visual journey through the last century's first fully-documented and least recognized Armenian Genocide. The documentary features never-before-seen archival footage and discovered memoirs of orphans who lived through the genocide in 1915.
The documentary follows researcher Maurice Missak Kelechian, whose findings unveil the site of an Armenian orphanage located at the present day Antoura College near Beirut, Lebanon. This is where 1,000 Armenian Genocide orphans had lived and were forcefully converted and "Turkified"
Racine Civic Centre presents the 2nd Annual Fabulously Faux Wedding
March 28th 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Memorial Hall
Join this gala event and witness the wedding of your dreams. Brides are free to attend, but there is a $5 charge for each additional guest. Register today by clicking the "Buy Now" button.
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