It was a special day for Chicago, as it was time for the Chicago River to be dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day. The dyeing process happens a few hours before the city’s St. Patricks Day Parade on the Saturday before the holiday. The Chicago Water Plumbing Union, dumps the orangish colored dye that turns green when in contact with the water. The river dyeing starts at about 9:52 A.M, with thousands of people hustle downtown to watch it.
But the dye doesnt last that long, depending on the weather, which will dilute the green. “The brightest green shade doesn’t last too long, the brightest shade can only last for several hours” according to Choose Chicago. Rain can dilute the green quicker meaning it will only be an hour or so.
The entire tradition of dying their river green, was when the buissiness manager of the Chicago Plumers local 130 unit. His name was Stephen Bailey, he was approached by a plumber that had dyed green overalls. The green was to detect leaks along in the sewer system, it would turn the water green, and that started the tradition of dying the river green of St Patricks day.
The exact concction of the dye is a hidden secret, it is vegtable based, so its not enviornmentally unsafe. Every year they are required to dump 40 pounds of dye in the water by motorboats, other boats stay behind to spread the dye evenly across the water. The two motorboats work together, one pours the dye, the other stirs it, 6 of them even the family and relatives make sure that theirs only 40 pounds dumped in the water, making it ready for all St. Patricks day activites.
Chicago Dyes Their River For St Patricks Day
March 31, 2026
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