Looking Back at Past St. Patrick’s Days and a Little History
March summons a force of a holiday in the city of Chicago. It turns our river turn green, closes our streets and bridges, makes the police come out in full force, and four different parades take over the city in a single weekend. No, it’s not Paczki Day. Although that brings lines across many a bakery, all over Chicago, in the wee hours. That’s a close second in my heart. I’m talking about—you already know, St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago.
But it’s not only us going mad over it. This Irish holiday is celebrated all around the world: Scotland, Bosnia, Australia, the UK, Canada, India, and Japan all celebrate it as well. Traditionally, in Ireland, the holiday was more of a religious observance than active celebration. But this has since changed. But no one celebrates St. Paddy’s Day (short for Padraig, the Irish spelling of Patrick), like the United States.
Who was St. Patrick and why do we celebrate it?
Despite being celebrated by the Irish, St. Patrick was an Italian (Roman) born in England. Although born into wealth, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates at 16. He was kept as a slave for six years in Ireland, forced to work as a shepherd, and coped by leaning heavily into religion.
He reportedly had a dream while in captivity to bring Christianity to the Irish. Dreams were apparently a strong and personal influence that guided St. Patrick. A dream led to him to deciding it was time to escape. And another telling him to return to Ireland, bringing Christianity to the country.
He spread Christianity to Ireland by incorporating Irish culture into Christianity. Historically, Ireland had a polytheistic Celtic religion. He used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. Included a bonfire as he celebrated Easter, as the Irish lit bonfires to celebrate Pagan holidays. The sun, a powerful Celtic symbol, was added to what is known today as the Celtic Cross.
He spent 40 years in Ireland as he converted the country. He died March 17th and was buried in Northern Ireland.
Why is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated so heavily in the United States?
After the Famine of 1845, it’s estimated about 2 million people immigrated and many went to the United States. About 1.5 million people died during the famine in Ireland, the Irish population at that the time was about 8 million people. For reference, the current population is 5.3 million people. Irish immigrants mostly settled in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
Chicago’s st. Paddy’s Day is a big deal
Outside of the Chicago River being dyed green, four parades take place during St. Patrick’s Day weekend: downtown in Grant Park, the Northside, the Southside, and another on Archer Avenue. It might seem like overkill, but there is a strong population of Irish descendants and different regions in Chicago pride themselves in having ownership over their celebrations. Keep in mind, Chicago does have two baseball teams with their own stadiums. Also, different cultural and socioeconomic ties. But for basics, Cubs (Northside) vs White Sox (Southside).
Chicago was only 8 years old, with a population of 6,000, when the Irish immigrated to the United States in 1845. Compared to Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, Chicago had the lowest number of Irish immigrants, but they had the strongest influence in Chicago since the city itself was so young and small.
Chicago Tradition of Dyeing the River Green
Chicago has been dyeing its river green for 63 years, the first official dye was done in 1962. In 1961, the idea came from a fluorescent dye used to find water leaks that was spotted on the clothes of a plumber. The current Mayor at the time explored dyeing a part of Lake Michigan but was convinced the river was more practical. The original fluorescent dye required 100lbs being pumped into the river in the early years. Thankfully, the city switched over to a vegetable dye combination that only requires 40lbs.
Due to this origin, the plumber’s union still sponsors the dyeing each year. The green river historically last 1-3 days, depending on weather conditions. Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Savannah, and San Antonio all also dye their waters green. But Chicago is most known for doing so.
Although it’s wonderful to enjoy in person, make sure to take a few pictures or video to keep the memories and the sights! On an earlier post, when a Mental Picture just Won’t Do, I make the argument for taking photos versus “living in the moment.”
This year’s celebration
This year’s celebration will take place Saturday March 15, 2025 at 10am. The dyeing takes place from N. Columbus Street to N. Orleans Street along Upper E. Wacker Drive. Keep in mind, some bridges and most of the Riverwalk will be closed during the dyeing. For the last two years, I’ve watched from the Riverwalk at N. Wabash Ave. I’ve arrived just after 8am to take some pictures around and scope out a good spot. I suggest you come around that time to get an option. Bring some coffee or hot chocolate to warm up as you wait.
If you didn’t bring anything festive to wear, there will be vendors on the sidewalks.
How can I view the event?
As you can see by the pictures, people quickly pile up on open spots along the Chicago River. Prime spots include the railing along Upper E. Wacker Drive (although this is the highest viewpoint), Lower Michigan Avenue Bridge, and the starting point at N. Columbus and State Street. If you go for a bridge, double check it’ll be open during the dyeing. And if you happen to spot space on the Riverwalk, once the space along the riverwalk runs out, people do camp out on the stairway. St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago is plenty crowded.
Other options include viewing from restaurants overlooking the Chicago River. London House is a popular choice. Of course, you can always be on the river itself. There are cruise tours operating during the day, although these sell out quickly. For a more unique experience, you can rent a kayak and go through right after it gets dyed.
What’s It Like to Attend?
About 50,000 people attend the river dye event, kicking off St. Patrick celebrations for the weekend. The parade beginning in Grant Park starts at noon and draws 800,000 to 1 million people. The streets will be filled during the river dye, but there will still be plenty of space to move around since some streets will be closed.
You’ll need to come early and for a good spot, you’ll be waiting at least an hour before the dye starts. It will be cold, so dress accordingly. Bring a hot drink (and snack) for the wait. While you wait, outside of chatting with your group, you can always take pictures of the area and people dressed up. Or general pictures of the crowd. If all else fails, depending on your spot, you can always keep your head up!
Occasionally, bagpipes can be heard but not throughout the entire event. Nor for very long, it’s strangely here and there. Music should be planned a bit more throughout the dyeing. It’s certainly makes everything more festive, and people naturally cheer when they hear it.
Not-So-Quite A Boat Parade
Different boats pop up. The star of the show, the Plumber Union boats, which drop the orange (yes, orange!) dye into the river. You see neon green swirls in water for a bit, until a second boat comes by and mixes the dye. These boats move up and down the river, which quickly becomes neon green. Or looking like mountain dew. You must see it in person at least once. The color of the water is strange to see, almost worrisome. As I mentioned above, the dye used today is plant-based, per the city.
Police and firefighter boats also sail around. As well as cruise boats packed with people. I haven’t done that, but I’m sure it’s extremely fun to watch from the river directly. Other boats, like canoes will be around and even kayaks. You’ll also catch some ducks in the river.
Don’t Forget About the Architecture
Of course, depending on your viewing spot, you can catch architectural sights. The iconic Wrigley Building in white, the Jeweler’s Building with its distinctive domed roof, and Marina Towers (Corn Cob buildings) will be in full view. If you go further down, you can catch the Murdoch Building. If you have a favorite building in the area, try to get a viewing spot that you’ll incorporate it into your photos. Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago should be including architecture. On an earlier post, Seeing Double at Citygarden, i explore incorporating the environment into your photography.
Once the Chicago River is Green
The actual dyeing takes about 30 minutes. Don’t forget to bring a battery pack, because you’ll be taking lots of pictures and video in all the excitement. I’d also recommend figuring out lunch reservations or you will be in a long wait to get a table anywhere.
The parade downtown starts at noon, so you can head over directly after.
After the dye, people clear up from the Riverwalk right away. If you didn’t get a good viewing spot, you can wait and get great pictures if you wait a few minutes.
People will just walk around and even climb parts of the bridge that separates the sidewalk from the cars on the street as you can see. Make sure to catch images of the crowd, since it’s a strange thing to see the roads closed and people all over. Walk down the river. It’s always fun to see the different kinds of boats going through.
And with that, I’m curious to see how other cities celebrate. Especially those that dye their river or canals. Chicago is a great city to experience St. Patrick’s Day, especially if you’re a fan of parades since you can visit at least two during the holiday weekend. How will you be celebrating?
