Chicago…The Windy City… Chi Town…The Second City. The third largest city in America is well-known for a lot of things including deep dish pizza, skyscrapers, Cloud Gate (The Bean), but it’s also one of the best cities to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!
Every year, Chicago is on the top ten lists of places to visit for St. Patrick's Day, and there is a VERY good reason why! The City of Big Shoulders goes green in a very big way to celebrate its Irish heritage…or at least to party in the name of St. Patrick.
Every year, Chicago is on the top ten lists of places to visit for St. Patrick's Day, and there is a VERY good reason why! The City of Big Shoulders goes green in a very big way to celebrate its Irish heritage…or at least to party in the name of St. Patrick.
While it may seem simple…you definitely need a plan in place to make the most of your St. Patrick's Day celebrations, but the outcome will be an amazing experience and (surprise, surprise) fun for the whole family!
You can easily flock to the thousands of bars for that green beer, but Chicago offers so much more!
You can easily flock to the thousands of bars for that green beer, but Chicago offers so much more!
DYING THE CHICAGO RIVER GREEN
This is definitely one of my favorite things to do on St Patrick's Day, but it calls for an early morning! This year the Chicago River dying takes place on Saturday, March 14 beginning around 9 am. Be prepared for large crowds as thousands of people line the Chicago River between Columbus and State Streets. I recommend getting downtown to find that perfect viewing spot between 7 am and 8 am to make sure you have a front row vantage point. Chicago usually closes the river walk, so you can only view the river dying from Wacker Drive or just north of the river.
Luckily, there are a few other options to give you a front row river dying experience. The Shoreline Sightseeing river cruise company and the Wendella boats offer special boat cruises during the river dying. Last year, my wife and I bought tickets to one of those special boat tours which included front row viewing of the river dying, green beer, live music, and a trip up and down the Chicago River. You can check out our experience by clicking here:
This is definitely one of my favorite things to do on St Patrick's Day, but it calls for an early morning! This year the Chicago River dying takes place on Saturday, March 14 beginning around 9 am. Be prepared for large crowds as thousands of people line the Chicago River between Columbus and State Streets. I recommend getting downtown to find that perfect viewing spot between 7 am and 8 am to make sure you have a front row vantage point. Chicago usually closes the river walk, so you can only view the river dying from Wacker Drive or just north of the river.
Luckily, there are a few other options to give you a front row river dying experience. The Shoreline Sightseeing river cruise company and the Wendella boats offer special boat cruises during the river dying. Last year, my wife and I bought tickets to one of those special boat tours which included front row viewing of the river dying, green beer, live music, and a trip up and down the Chicago River. You can check out our experience by clicking here:
If you can’t make it downtown for that, don’t worry. Just check Instagram and the local Chicago news stations for the live coverage of the event.
While you’re downtown watching the river turn green, you might as well should stay for the 65th Annual St. Patricks Day Parade on Columbus between Balbo and Monroe. Typically the parade starts around 10 am (just after the river dying).
After that, people continue the celebrations at their local bars as many establishments have special parties specifically for St. Patricks Day. If you can’t get enough of the parades, then check out the South Side Irish Parade the very next day Sunday, March 15 located on Western Avenue between 103rd & 115th Streets. The parade kicks off around noon with thousands of people lining the streets of this family-friendly event. It has become an annual tradition for families to experience the fun-filled parade.
Have fun this year and remember to be safe and WEAR GREEN!! Slainte!
Joel McFarlin creates videos of cool things around Chicago and he hopes you feel the same way. The videos usually have some type of time lapse, some are stories, and others are unboxing/how he built it type episodes. Check out his Youtube channel by going to:
https://www.youtube.com/user/JoelMcFarlin
While you’re downtown watching the river turn green, you might as well should stay for the 65th Annual St. Patricks Day Parade on Columbus between Balbo and Monroe. Typically the parade starts around 10 am (just after the river dying).
After that, people continue the celebrations at their local bars as many establishments have special parties specifically for St. Patricks Day. If you can’t get enough of the parades, then check out the South Side Irish Parade the very next day Sunday, March 15 located on Western Avenue between 103rd & 115th Streets. The parade kicks off around noon with thousands of people lining the streets of this family-friendly event. It has become an annual tradition for families to experience the fun-filled parade.
Have fun this year and remember to be safe and WEAR GREEN!! Slainte!
Joel McFarlin creates videos of cool things around Chicago and he hopes you feel the same way. The videos usually have some type of time lapse, some are stories, and others are unboxing/how he built it type episodes. Check out his Youtube channel by going to:
https://www.youtube.com/user/JoelMcFarlin
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