MILWAUKEE — It is St. Patrick's Day in Milwaukee and there is no limit to how green the city will light up!
The Hoan Bridge will light up in green, orange and white in celebration Thursday night.
"If the Hoan Bridge were a rainbow, Milwaukee would be the pot o’ gold," Light the Hoan said.
While much of America's focus is on the party aspect of the holiday, that's not how the tradition began. It started as a more solemn and religious holiday.
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"People would go to church and they would get dressed up obviously. Go to mass. Come home. Have a nice traditional meal. Root vegetables or whatever they had," Corey Webster, the president of the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, said.
It was Americans who popularized the more party-esque celebration of St. Patrick’s day. Nonetheless, it’s a popular day to celebrate given the strong presence of Irish-Americans in the United States.
The return of Milwaukee's St. Patrick's Day parade kicked off a potentially lucrative week with places offering deals and promotions to try to welcome as many patrons as possible.
While there isn't specific financial data for the holiday, Milwaukee's communications manager said they have already seen a spike in tourism at a time when the local hospitality industry could use it most.
