Photos: Chicago River Goes Green For 2013 St. Patrick's Day Festivities

By Jen Chung in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 16, 2013 9:00PM

Finally! Today the Chicago River got its annual makeover for St. Patrick's Day, with the river dyed radioactive green. Just in time for green vomit!

Here's our explanation from last year:

The Plumbers Local union is charged with dyeing the river green every year. They first used 100 pounds of the vegetable dye, which kept the river green for about a week. Today, 40 pounds of vegetable dye is mixed into the river using motorboats, which is enough to keep the river a Shamrock green for about four-to-five hours, after which the river reverts back to its murky, polluted green. If one thinks about it, it's a sad commentary on the state of the Chicago River's water quality that vegetable dye and pollution can create such a stunning image.

Back in 1962, a manager with the Plumbers Union, Steve Bailey, said, "The Chicago River will dye the Illinois, which will dye the Mississippi, which will dye the Gulf of Mexico, which will send green dye up the Gulf Stream across the North Atlantic into the Irish Sea. A sea of green surrounding the land will appear as a greeting to all Irishmen of the Emerald Isle from the men of Erin in Chicago."

And here's some video from this morning: