It’s a big day in the city, as the Chicago River will be dyed green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, but how long will the color last?
Most fans of the tradition know that the dye, which is put into the water by the Chicago Plumbers union, comes out orange, but once it spreads in the water it takes on a bright emerald green that dazzles the senses and seems to envelop all of downtown with its color.
Like many good things in life though, the good times don’t last forever, and the brightest green shade in the river only lasts for a matter of hours, according to Choose Chicago.
However, residents or visitors who didn’t get to see the river on Saturday won’t need to fret. The river will still retain a green hue for several days, and could even do so until St. Patrick’s Day itself on Tuesday.
Rain in the forecast could help to dilute that green color quicker, with a chance of multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
For those curious, the tradition of dyeing the river green began in 1961 when Stephen Bailey, the business manager of the Chicago Plumbers Local 130 union, was approached by a plumber whose overalls had been dyed a remarkably brilliant shade of green.
According to the story, the dye used to detect leaks in the sewer system along the Chicago River turned the water green, and the idea was born to dye the river green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
Each year, the Journeyman Plumbers Local 130 heads out on boats onto the Chicago River and pours an orange concoction into the water. In a seeming blink of an eye, the dye turns from orange to green, and the water maintains that brilliant hue for the iconic holiday.
