St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago is officially almost here! And of all the incredible annual events and special celebrations in Chicago, the widespread hysteria and jubilance of St. Patrick’s Day in March makes it one of the city’s favorite traditions.
With a historically large Irish population in such a diverse and vibrant city as Chicago, it is no wonder our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are internationally renowned. Every year in March, Chicago experiences an explosion of green as marches, parades, and parties occur across the city. Oh, and of course, the Chicago Green River dyeing that paints the river a bright emerald green.
We’ve here provided a breakdown and a St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago Guide so you can be sure you don’t miss a thing during the iconic celebration.
When is St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago celebrated?
St. Patrick’s Day Chicago 2024 will be celebrated on March 16th. However, the actual St. Patrick’s Day holiday is observed (or celebrated depending on how you look at it) on March 17th to commemorate the date of the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
Despite his prevalence in culture due to St Patrick’s Day and the parties that take place worldwide in his name, not a great deal is known about the man himself.
Folklore tells of him banishing all snakes from Ireland, but these are the product of exaggerated storytelling. St Patrick was essentially a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary who dedicated his life to converting the pagan Irish population in North Ireland to Christianity and evangelizing as many people as he could.
St. Patrick’s Day Chicago celebrations predominantly occur on the weekend nearest to St. Patrick’s Day, with most events usually happening on the Saturday before March 17th.
Why are Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations famous?
While parties, bar crawls, and parades worldwide celebrate Ireland and Irish heritage (or to have an excuse to party), here in Chicago, the city goes the extra mile, dying the Chicago River bright green using an environmentally friendly vegetable-based dye.
Taking place since 1962, every year, the Chicago Green River Dyeing has become one of Chicago’s most iconic annual celebrations. Thousands of people line the riverwalk and crowd Chicago’s bridges to glimpse the phenomenon as crews from The Chicago Plumbers Union Local 130 take to the river, spreading the dye and creating a spellbinding spectacle for onlookers in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
In addition to the river dying, Irish festivities occur throughout Chicago, with marching bands, bagpipes, dancers, and parades taking over the Loop, Chicago’s South and Northwest Side, and plenty of bars and venues across the city.
When is the St. Patrick’s Day Green River Dyeing in Chicago this year?
This year, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday, meaning the Chicago celebrations will occur the day before on Saturday, March 16th.
Starting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, the Chicago Plumbers Union Local 130 will turn the river emerald green using a vegetable-based and environmentally friendly dye, which a parade will follow in Grant Park.
How can I best experience the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Green River Dyeing?
The best time to view the Chicago Green River dyeing, of course, is during the hours immediately following the event taking place. As the day goes on, the color inevitably fades. Observing the crews spraying the dye is a big part of the experience, and then spending the next few hours around the Chicago River enjoying the spectacle is the best plan for the morning of St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago.
For the very best views, head to the section of Upper Wacker Drive between Columbus and Fairbanks, according to www.chicagostpatricksdayparade.org. The east side of the Michigan Avenue bridge or the west side of the Columbus Drive bridge. Alternatively, anywhere on Upper Wacker Drive above the Riverwalk offers great viewpoints of the dyed river, particularly between State Street and Columbus Drive.
Note that the lower riverwalk will be closed on Saturday, March 16th. All stairwells leading to the lower riverwalk will be closed per the City of Chicago.
When and where are the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parades this year?
The Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade will begin at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 16th. Usually, the parade moves along Columbus Drive from Balbo to Monroe Street, though at the time of writing, more specific route information has yet to be released for the 2024 parades.
More information can be found at www.chicagostpatricksdayparade.org.
What else happens in Chicago around St Patrick’s Day?
You’ll find a ton of pop-ups, drinks specials, and green St Patrick’s Day-themed snacks around the city. Wrigleyville’s over-the-top Charm’d Bar pop-up is one of Chicago’s most popular St. Patrick’s Day pop-up bars but a plethora of bar crawls and parties take place around the city.
The relatively new Guinness Taproom in West Loop is another place you’re guaranteed to find something special taking place this weekend.
View our roundup of top St Patrick’s Day bar crawls and parties here.
As for drinks, you’ll find themed cocktails and specials at many of Chicago’s hotels and most frequented bars including the following Secret Chicaho favorites:
- JoJo’s Shake Bar
- Three Dots and a Dash
- London House Chicago
- Godfrey Hotel
- Hyatt Regency Chicago
- Columbus Tap
- Osito’s Tap
- Wake ‘n Bacon
While there is an array of mouth-watering green snacks across the city including some of the following highlights:
- Green River Glaze Donut at Stan’s Donuts
- Green Tea Waffle at Chicago Waffles
- Pistachio Old Fashioned at Firecakes
- Paddy’s Day Treats at Sweet Mandy B’s
[Featured image from Shutterstock]