Saturday March 11, 2017
Parade steps-off at 12 Noon
Columbus Dr. from Balbo St. to Monroe St.
Broadcast live on ABC 7 Chicago.
Celebration of the 62nd Anniversary of the Plumbers Local 130 sponsored Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Chicago.
Chicago hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the country.
The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates the patron saint of Ireland Irish heritage.
The Green Chicago River
At 9 a.m. Saturday, a boat crew shakes an orange powder from a sifter into the Chicago River. A second boat crew follows and stirs up the powder into the river to spread the green color.
The tradition dates back to 1962 as an idea inspired after the City of Chicago used dye to detect where pollution was entering the river. The recipe for the orange powder that turns the river green remains a secret after all these years. Parade organizers say dyeing the river is environmentally safe.
The best place to view the river dyeing on the east side of Michigan Avenue west of Columbus Drive/