The Chicago River was running bright green on Saturday, as it does every St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Thankfully, the high winds in the forecast died down as the dye went into the water ahead of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Columbus Drive, both of which that drew huge crowds dressed in green.
In all his “approximately 59” years on the South Side, Jim Collins has missed out on a Chicago tradition.
“This is a first for me,” he said.
Same goes for his friends, like Marty Wilbur.
“We’re native Chicagoans, and none of us have ever seen the river getting dyed,” Wilbur said.
That changed on Saturday; a Chicago tradition of transformation witnessed by thousands overlooking the water.
Plumbers Local Union 130 has had this exclusive Chicago River gig and the secret dye recipe for decades.
“It’s kind of yellow, but when it hits the water, it’s bright green and it looks fantastic,” Wilbur said.
On St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Chicago, the river flows green, and so do the streets, as massive crowds head to the Riverwalk to for the river dyeing before the big downtown parade.
“It doesn’t do justice, what you see in pictures,” said Lorraine Seiffert, who was visiting from St. Louis with her husband to see the parade step off from Grant Park.
The parade route on Columbus Drive was just as crowded and vibrant as the river on Saturday.
“It’s kind of supposed to be a leprechaun costume, I don’t know. I just love getting dressed up,” said Seiffert, who was decked out in all green, from her clothes to her jewelry to her makeup. “Everybody’s here for the same reason, and having fun.”
When it comes to St. Patrick’s Day tradition, the city soaks it in.
“It’s beautiful. It’s just absolutely beautiful and gorgeous,” Collins said. “Everybody that’s a Chicagoan, you have to do this.”
Even after the parade ended, the party continued in pubs, bars, and back yards across the city.
“Genuinely, Chicago no joke is the best place to go if you can’t afford Ireland,” said Preslie Bolton, who was visiting from Fresno, California.
Hundreds of people lined up outside Timothy O’Toole’s Pub in the River North neighborhood, but even with that big crowd, it was only a 30-minute wait to get inside for the afternoon’s festivities.
“They’re not asking for coffee when they walk in. They’re ready for that beautiful green creamy Guinness, or they’re ready for that green Miller Lite,” Timothy O’Toole’s employee Bob McDermott said.
People said they were coming out for St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebrations no matter what, but the warm and breezy weather made the time outside that much easier.
“It’s been great. Everyone has been really kind, and we love the city so far. So it’s been great getting to talk to everyone, and just having a fun day today,” said Annalise Eisenstein, who was visiting from Columbus, Ohio.
Celebrations continue late into the night. Timothy O’TOoles said they expect to be open until 3 a.m. Sunday.
There are more parades on Sunday, including the South Side Irish Parade in Beverly, the Northwest Side Irish Parade in the Norwood Park neighborhood, and the Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Garfield Ridge.
