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Around Town
St. Patrick’s Day brings out one of the most famous of Chicago’s yearly traditions — the dyeing of the Chicago River. Every year, residents head to the Chicago Loop to watch as the Chicago River turns a brilliant shade of green. Immediately after dyeing the river, the city hosts the St. Patrick’s Day Parade through Grant Park. After the parade, festivals throughout the city and live music and many of the restaurants and bars round out the festivities. If you’ve never seen the dyeing of the river, make plans now to participate this year.
ABOUT THE ST. PATRICK’S DAY TRADITION
Each year on St. Patrick’s Day, 45 pounds of vegetable dye are dumped into the Chicago River. Though the dye itself is orange, it has the effect of turning the river a brilliant green hue. This marks the beginning of the festivities for the day. The dyeing of the river launches a day filled with Irish-inspired celebrations throughout the city.
WHERE TO VIEW
You’ll be able to see the green river for about five hours after the dyeing from all around the city. However, if you want to view the change in person, you’ll want to head to a prime viewing spot. These include:
The east side of the Michigan Avenue Bridge.
The west side of the Columbus Drive Bridge.
The Riverwalk between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.
The dyeing of the river happens a just before the parade, which is scheduled for noon. However, you’ll want to arrive early to ensure you can see the festivities. This event draws over 400,000 Irish-loving, green-clad people to Chicago! If you wait, you won’t get a spot along the river. This year, the river will run green on March 11, the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day.
As a resident of downtown Chicago, you’ll want to be part of this annual tradition. If you are looking to join the vibrant Chicago community so you can enjoy these types of traditions, River North Park is waiting for you. Check out our available apartments in Chicago and beautiful outdoor setting right in the middle of the Windy City.