CHICAGO, Illinois: The Chicago River turned bright green again as the city kicked off its annual St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
Thousands of people gathered along the river and on bridges, cheering as members of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union Local 130 poured dye into the water from boats. This tradition has been going on for nearly 63 years.
The river dyeing happened just before the downtown St. Patrick's Day parade. The holiday, which fell on Tuesday this year, celebrated Irish culture. St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is known for bringing Christianity to the country in the fifth century.
The dye used was safe for the environment. The river stayed bright green for several hours, but some color remained for days.
A second St. Patrick's Day parade took place on March 16 on Chicago's South Side.
