Each year, during the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the river running through Chicago transforms into a ribbon of Emerald green. The tradition began in 1962, when members of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local 130 figured out a way to use a special dye to color the water as a tribute to the city’s proud Irish roots.
The color only lasts a few hours, but the spectacle feels like a bit of playful urban alchemy. Boats pause, crowds lean over the bridges, cameras flash, and suddenly the river looks like it wandered out of a Celtic legend.
Today the dyeing is one of the highlights of Chicago’s massive St. Patrick’s celebrations, right alongside the parade and the sea of green hats, scarves, and laughter that fills the streets.
A river turned shamrock. Not bad for a Saturday morning tradition. ☘️✨