Chicago River turns green for St. Patrick's Day 2026

Following the annual tradition to mark St. Patrick’s Day 2026, Chicago River has been dyed green for the 64th continuous year, turning the murky water into a bright green colour.

The water’s colour remains changed for around five hours as thousands of people travel downtown to witness the spectacle.

According to reports, this year’s ritual involved 130 members of the Journeymen Plumbers Local Union dumping their proprietary blend of dyes into the river. The process kicked off at around 10:00 a.m. on Saturday near Michigan and Wacker.

The tradition first started in 1962 with a suggestion from the union’s business manager Stephen Bailey. He proposed that the dye which was initially used to trace leaks in the buildings could be used to dye the river as part of celebrations for the St. Patricks Day.

The exact components used to make the dye remains a mystery; though it is believed to be vegetable-based. Hoses mounted on architecture tour boats and motorboats are used to spread nearly 40 pounds of powdered dye into the river.

The tradition has now become a symbol of the city that’s been well documented in TV shows, movies and your social media feeds.