First Day Of Spring: 5 Need-To-Know March Dates In Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE, WI — March is a lot like church - it matters less how you come in; it's more important how you come out. Will March 2018 leave us with the tranquility of Spring or a stormy reminder that Winter has yet to release its grip on Wisconsin. Spring officially arrives Tuesday, March 20, and people in Southeastern Wisconsin are already starting to shake off winter and fill the calendar with events.

For a lot of us, the St. Patrick's Day Parade is a time to bundle up the family and head outdoors. In Milwaukee, the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin’s 52nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on Saturday, March 10th, 2018. The parade will step off at noon at 3rd and Wisconsin and finish at Water and Highland. It's considered one of the best St. Patrick’s Day Parades in the country and the grandest parade in Wisconsin.

Spring arrives when the vernal equinox officially arrives at 12:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on the 20th. That’s when the Northern Hemisphere starts to tilt toward the sun, bringing earlier sunrises, later sunsets, softer winds and green plants sprouting from the ground. In theory. Let’s hope so.

Here are five need-to-know dates in Wisconsin:

March 8: International Women’s Day takes on added prominence this year due to the #MeToo movement that gave voice to throngs of women to talk about issues ranging from sexual harassment to pay equality. In Wisconsin, what woman most inspires you and why? Tell us in the comments.

March 11: Daylight Saving Time actually arrives before the start of spring. Remember the maxim — spring forward, and set your clock ahead an hour. Most cell phones and devices will automatically update.

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, so expect extra revelry this year.

March 24: The national “March for our Lives” rally protesting gun violence and calling for an end to school shootings takes place in Washington, D.C., and many cities across the country. The national event is being spearheaded by students in Parkland, Florida, who survived the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

March 30: This date marks important religious holidays for people of the Christian and Jewish faiths. It’s Good Friday, which begins the four-day Easter observance for people who practice Christianity. For people who are Jewish, it’s the beginning of the seven-day Passover observance.

Patch File Photo By Scott Anderson