Chicago is set to have its annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration this Saturday, March 11.
The celebration that causes people from all over the country to flock to the Windy City includes parades and the dying of the Chicago River bright green.
Chicago has a long history of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. With Chicago’s large Irish community, the first parade in the city to celebrate actually took place in 1843, about 30 years before the Great Chicago Fire. This tradition became an official city event in the 1950s, with the dying of the river following soon after.
Parades in Chicago
Two of the most prominent parades in the city are the South Side Irish Parade and the Downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which is the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country.
River Dyeing and its History
The dying of the Chicago River to the bright and vibrant green that is associated with Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are a favorite amongst locals and tourists alike.
The dying of the river started in 1962, and its origins didn’t start as a way to celebrate the Irish holiday. City sanitation workers used to use dyes to trace illegal discharges of sewage and other bothersome waste into Chicago’s water system.
The Chicago River used to be where companies would dump all of their waste products and buildings would dump their sewage. As the city population grew, there was an effort to clean the river, using dyes to find discharges.
In 1962, workers realized that using these same green dyes to dye the river could be a fun way for the city to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
The first year they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the Chicago River. This ended up being overkill, as the water stayed bright green for a whole month. Nowadays they use 40 pounds of a powder-based orange dye that turns green on contact with water.
The Plumbers Union of Chicago is responsible for the dyeing of the Chicago River each year. They board two tugboats and spray the dye off of the back of the boats to dye the river. These two tugboats are owned and run by a Chicago River architecture tour company Shoreline Sightseeing.
This dye is safe for the environment, and the Chicago River usually fades back to its normal brownish-green after a few days.
Staying Safe on St. Patricks Day
Due to the inebriated nature of this holiday, it is important that no matter where or how you celebrate this holiday you stay safe. If you’re going to a party or a bar, have a designated driver or use public transit. Dress warmly, even though springtime is approaching, it is still cold in Chicago during the winter. Use the buddy system, don’t leave an event without your friends or those that you came with. Finally remember, this holiday is about fun, so have fun responsibly.
When and Where
The Downtown Chicago Parade begins at 12:30 p.m. on Columbus Drive between Balbo and Monroe Avenue. The Southside Irish Parade will happen on Sunday, March 12 at noon on 103rd and Western Avenue. The river dyeing will take place on the main branch of the Chicago River at 10 a.m.
Written by Caroline Buehler
Sources:
NPR: Dyeing the Chicago River green is a St. Patrick’s Day tradition. How did it start? by Jeff Dean
History.com: A History of Saint Patrick’s Day
NBC Chicago: Here’s How To Spend Your 2023 St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago by Lauren Stewart
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Ryan Dickey Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image Courtesy of John W. Iwanski Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
