St. Patrick's Day Parades, Chicago
Two Parades, a Green River and Music at Navy Pier in the Windy City
St. Pat's celebrations take place over two weekends in Chicago. Leprechauns magically turn the River Irish green. Navy Pier features a weekend of Irish music.
Chicago, Illinois takes St. Patrick's Day very seriously. Irish immigrants who settled in Chicago started St. Pat's traditions that continue to this day.
St. Patrick's Day honors the Patron Saint of Ireland and Irish ancestors. St. Patrick lived nearly 1600 years ago. For centuries, St. Patrick's Day was a holy religious Catholic observance.
St. Patrick's Day in America has evolved into a grand party, with parades, parties, pub crawls and green beer. People of all nationalities and religions get into the spirit of the Irish holiday. Shamrocks and leprechauns are sure to be spotted around town on St. Pat's weekend.
Chicago has a lot of Irish spirit. There are two large parades, on two different weekends, in The Windy City. The South Side Irish parade is held on the south side of the city. The City of Chicago celebration is unique because the Chicago River gets dyed Irish green in celebration of the Irish observance. The St. Pat's Parade in The Loop follows the magical greening of the river.
Navy Pier will be holding a weekend of Irish music and dancing. Chicagoans can party all weekend at the St. Pat's events in The Windy City.
Pubs, bars, taverns and restaurants around the city will be serving Irish fare, such as corned beef and cabbage, Reuben sandwiches and Shepherd's Pie. Hearty food will be washed down with emerald green beer and strong Irish Whiskey.
Following are the dates and times of Chicago's major St. Pat's events.
- South Side Irish, Sunday, March 9, Noon. The parade, held in an Irish neighborhood on the south side is called a giant block party. A crowd of about nearly 330,000 people gather at 103rd Street and Western Avenue . A Parade Mass is held at St. Cajetan Parish. Irish music and songs are played at 8:30 AM, followed by 9:00 AM Mass.
- Dyeing the Chicago River Green, March 15, 10:30 AM: Leprechauns, with the help of some city workers and orange dye transform the usually murky waters of the Chicago River into a brilliant green for the day.
- Saint Patrick's Day Parade Downtown Chicago, March 15, Noon. After the Chicago River is transformed into a brilliant Irish green the great Saint Patrick's Day Parade takes place. The parade begins on Balboa and Columbus and travels north on Columbus Dives. The viewing stand is in front of Buckingham Fountain. Over 300,000 spectators attend the spectacle. Public transportation is advised.
- St. Patrick's Day Celebration at Navy Pier, Saturday and Sunday, March 15-16, 11:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The Pavilion Stage at Navy Pier will host two days of traditional Irish/Celtic acoustic music and bagpipes. All ages are welcome. Admission is free.
Information is subject to change. If you plan to celebrate with green beer or Irish Whiskey at the pubs, please designate a driver. Please do not drink and drive.
Read about St. Patrick's Parades in: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota. New York.
