How lengthy does Chicago’s river keep dyed inexperienced for St Patrick’s Day 2023?

In anticipation of St Patrick’s Day, the precept river working by Chicago has been dyed inexperienced.

While the likes of Starbucks are celebrating St Paddy’s with satisfying, seasonal drinks on present, some celebrating are taking it up a notch. Ahead of St Patrick’s Day celebrations, which happen on Friday, March 17, Chicago embraces the inexperienced of Ireland by dying its namesake river inexperienced.

Let’s take a look at how the customized started and the way in which lengthy the river stays this vibrant shade.

Why is the Chicago River dyed inexperienced for St Patrick’s Day?

For over 60 years, Chicagoans have welcomed the dying of the Chicago River ahead of St Patrick’s Day. The river is dyed a vibrant shade merely hours sooner than the city’s annual parade.

The customized was started in 1962, when members of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union decided to dump 100 kilos of dye into the river and turned it inexperienced. This is taken into account a dye which checks for leakages.

Each yr, the Union upholds its customized. This yr, they started pouring out 50 kilos of dye all through a quarter-mile stretch of the Chicago River on the morning of March 11, 2023.

You can see the fantastic aerial view of the dyed river beneath.

Green dye stays family secret

Two households in Chicago, the Butlers and the Rowans, have volunteered to dye the river over the a very long time. They have saved the exact dye a secret

“We always refer to it as ‘leprechaun dust,’” Tom Rowan outlined to the Sun-Times. “We have never told anybody what it is.”

It is a non-toxic orange dye that turns a vibrant, phosphorescent inexperienced when it’s blended with water. Despite being plant-based, there was concern amongst environmentalists over time that the river dying is harmful.

How lengthy does the Chicago River keep dyed inexperienced?

If you want to see the dyed inexperienced river IRL, you’ll needs to be speedy. It solely lasts numerous hours sooner than the river turns once more to its regular deep hue.

The inexperienced dyeing of the Chicago River takes place on Saturday, March 11. It was dyed at 10am and expired merely hours later.

Show all