“Painting” Chicago Green For St. Patrick’s Day!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!
Last Saturday, Chicago once again “painted” the Chicago River green and it’s a wild celebration that continues today!
This happens every year just before St. Patricks’ Day – it’s safe by the way – but before I tell you how they do it, remember that this is also a day of reflection and here’s why!
Of course, today is the day to drink green beer, eat corn beaf and cabbage, and celebrate the “Luck o’ The Irish!”
But it’s much more. As History.com reports:
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
That means only one thing in The Windy City:
Painting The Chicago River Green!
This is a celebration that draws thousands to the Chicago Riverwalk area to see it live…I attended many times and here’s a video I took at that time:
It’s a St. Patrick’s Day tradition: the city of Chicago dyes their river green, as thousands of fans arrive to celebrate the big day!
Yes, you will see lots of green apparel as well as beverages as the town goes wild for the Irish! Here is more of the celebration at the river’s edge:
The city of Chicago began the “painting” of the river green in 1962.
As wikipedia reports, the inspiration for the stunt came from pollution-control workers, who used various chemical dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges. Yep, they got the idea while looking for “sewage discharge!”
That first year, the city dumped 100 pounds of dye into the river, which left it green for an entire week!
Officials say they now use less than 25 pounds of dye, and it’s vegetable-based, so safe to everything in the water!
Here is a look at how they “paint” the river:
After they spray the river, smaller boats stir it all in…the entire ceremony takes a half hour, then it’s on to the next celebration – a parade – followed by a day long celebration that lasts well into the night…
As you can see, the river continues to be a place for tour boats and kayakers, all sharing the now green water and the city celebrates the holiday!
All year long, Chicago is an amazing place to visit, and the river cuts right through the heart of the city:
The river connects to Lake Michigan, and you can stop to see the fountain that sprays water across the river once an hour – check it out!
This spectacular riverwalk goes for a mile on the south side of the river, and at night this is what it’s like:
Click here for a tour of the entire area – and all of the iconic landmarks along the
Chicago has so many great traditions, and a rich history as well:
Chicago’s iconic Tribune building is actually studded with pieces of history from around the world!
Click here for a close up look:
Of course, if you were in Chicago right now, all of this fun would make you hungry – well, I’ve got just the thing:
Manny’s Deli serves mile high pastrami every day of the year!
See more here:
And finally, I loved to walk through Grant Park along the Lake, and lose myself inside this outdoor art:
You can also cross the street and see the original Tsavo Lions, known as “The Ghost And The Darkness!”
See that story here:
Finally, don’t forget that arriving in Chicago is just as exciting as touring there – because this vibrant Neon walkway. is int he airport!
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Categories: Art, chicago, Exotic Travel, food blog, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Real Estate, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
One of my very favorite traditions!!☘️☘️
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I love that riverwalk! How fun to see the river in green!
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Yes we are planning to go back in the summer for a fun weekend!
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It’s a great town to visit! 💚
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Ah yes, I remember reading about this on your blog last year. Must be an amazing sight to witness.
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It’s really fun to watch and boy, does that town know how to party!
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The practice always makes me think of the classic line from The Fugitive: “If they can dye this river green today, then why can’t they dye it blue the other 364 days of the year?” Such a cool thing. Glad it’s safe too. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
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Funny you say that: someone just shared a clip of Tommy Lee Jones stopping to talk to a reporter at the parade…while he was filming “The Fugitive!”
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