One of Chicago’s most treasured annual traditions returns this weekend.
Parades, bagpipes, parties, and the explosion of green will once again sweep through the city starting Saturday for Chicago’s iconic St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
On Saturday the weekend will kick off at 10 am with the famous river dying which sees the Chicago River turn emerald green using an environmentally-friendly vegetable-based dye that glows through the heart of Chicago for roughly 48 hours.
Dating back to 1962, the annual tradition draws thousands of people to line riverwalk spots and crowd bridges hoping to get a good glimpse of the iconic occasion unraveling before their eyes.
Every year Chicago’s many talented photographers turn up in full force and social media channels become populated with various perspectives of the emerald green river and other St Patrick’s Day shenanigans taking place around the city.
As we can’t quite control our excitement we’ve here rounded up a concoction of our favorite photos to get everybody giddy for this coming weekend!
Happy scrolling!
Check out our guide on how to best experience St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago for information on the river dyeing, parades, and more!