For one of the Best St. Patrick’s Day parade don’t miss Chicago’s annual St. Patty’s Day festivities. Taking place on March 13th 2010 thankfully there is no shortage of hotels within close walking distance of the Parade route and watering holes (for those of age). View our list of Last minute downtown Chicago hotels here.
The first St Patrick’s Day parade in Chicago took place on 17 March, 1843. Now every year a magnificent procession of marching bands, floats and hundreds of citizens dressed in green thrills spectators in the downtown area of the city.
One of the lesser-known and more extraordinary aspects to Chicago’s celebration of Ireland’s patron saint is a wonderful tradition of splashing green dye into the Chicago River. In 1962, a city plumber whose overalls had been coloured green with dye used to trace pollution inspired Stephen Bailey, a labour leader and close friend of Mayor Daley, to turn the river green for St Patrick’s Day. When 17 March rolled around 100 pounds of green vegetable dye were added to the river, enough to keep it green for a week!
These days, 40 pounds of a green food colouring keep it green for only a few hours, but this brilliant tradition is kept alive and we salute them for it!
Source: *whatsonwhen.com
Tags: Chicago, Downtown Hotels, Holiday, Hotels, Last Minute, St Patty's Day Parade
