Chicago River Dyeing & Where to Watch
The Chicago River is dyed on the day of the Chicago St Patrick’s Day parade(Postponed). The dye used is an orange powder, derived from an environmentally-friendly vegetable base. It takes more than 40 pounds of the secret formula and two boats are required for the river dyeing process. One boat does the dyeing and the other boat does the mixing. The second boat is referred to as the “Mixmaster.” The river dyeing is done at 9am. People normally start lining up around 7am. The Chicago River is dyed green between Columbus and Wacker drives.
The best spots to watch from the river are:
- East side of the Michigan Avenue Bridge
- West side of the Columbus Drive Bridge
- Along the banks of the Chicago Riverwalk between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive
The best spots to watch from above are:
- Terrace 16 at Trump
- Rebar at Trump
- Travelle at The Langham
- LondonHouse Rooftop Bar
