Chicago St. Patrick's Day 2025: Parade, green river dyeing bring thousands downtown
Watch ABC7's full presentation of 2025 Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade in video playlist below
CHICAGO (WLS) -- St. Patrick's Day celebrations are taking place this weekend in Chicago.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The iconic dyeing of the Chicago River got underway at 10 a.m. Saturday. It is a 60-year-old Chicago tradition.
The Journeymen Local Plumbers Local Union 130 members were in boats as the dyeing took place.
Then, it was the 70th annual downtown Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade, which stepped off from Balbo and Columbus drives at noon.
The parade aired live on ABC7 Chicago. Larry Mowry, Liz Nagy and Stephanie Wade hosted this year.
Watch ABC7's full presentation of the 2025 Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade in the video playlist at the top of this article.
The Shannon Rovers kicked of the 70th annual Chicago Saint Patrick's Day Parade. Traditional Irish music and dance were part of the celebration along Columbus Drive Saturday.
The Irish Trinity Dance Academy started practicing in December for their 400 performances this season, with the parade being their biggest show.
"They train all through the winter," said MacKenzie Holland, Trinity Irish Dance Academy performance program manager. "Oh, so proud. I started dancing when I was 3, so this is a full circle moment for me."
The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies were back in good form. Some their members were among those killed in the Waukesha Christmas parade attack in 2021.
"We lost four members, plus two additional people who weren't in our group," said Jayme Glazewski with The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies. "It was hard, but we are back, and we are strong, and we are excited to be here."
There was a lot of security around the festivities. Also, everyone was dealing with bit of wind, but it was mainly a pleasant March day to be outside.
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"It's a beautiful day," Chicagoan Saul Espejel said. "It's beautiful weather. We have to enjoy the nice days that Chicago gives us."
People from all over the world were decked out in green to see the uniquely-Chicago events.
"We've come to U.S. quite often, but never to Chicago," sadi Michelle Sandhu, who is visiting from Singapore. "We couldn't have timed it better to be here for the parade and the dying of the river which you hear and see so much."
Along the parade route, Maryjo Coleman with the Irish American Heritage Center reminded that Irish were not always welcomed in the U.S., so she said Saturday was special for her.
"Just seeing everybody come together for holidays especially for St. Patrick's Day, no matter who you are or where you come from, what your background is, being able to come out and celebrate and have a good time with each other, it's just beautiful," Coleman said.
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"This is a good positive thing to be celebrating, and it's nice to see everybody out here," Chicagoan Holly Oliveri said. "There's a lot of diversity out here. You don't have to be Irish to be celebrating."
"It's beautiful," said Tavares McElrath with the Hoover, Alabama High School Marching Band. "You have to be diverse and be able to accept other cultures, so it's great. I love celebrating everybody. I'm a people person."
The 47th South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day parade will stepped off at noon on Sunday.
It will go from 103rd Street and Western Avenue to 115th Street.
Metra is providing extra service, including some express trains, on seven of its 11 lines, on Saturday for the parade.
For Saturday's events, Metra offered extra trains on its BNSF, Milwaukee District North, Milwaukee District West, Rock Island, Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West lines. This included early morning trains.
On Sunday, Metra is providing extra service on its Rock Island Line for the South Side Irish Parade.
Alcohol is banned on all Metra trains on Saturday and on all Rock Island Line trains on Sunday. Customers are also asked to not bring backpacks or water bottles on the trains Saturday, Metra said.
Chicago's 44th Ward Ald. Bennett Lawson said Clark Street will be closed from Newport to Addison from 7 a.m. Saturday until 3 a.m. Sunday.
Visit metra.com for more information.
