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"path": "/chicago/2026/03/14/a-rite-of-passage-in-emerald-green",
"publishedAt": "2026-03-14T14:31:35.763Z",
"site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
"textContent": "<p>Danielle Crawford has been in Chicago less than a year while her boyfriend has lived in the city for over four decades, and both watched the Chicago River turn emerald green for the first time Saturday morning.</p><p>\"I feel like this was a rite of passage if I was going to start to live a Chicago life,\" said Crawford, who came from the San Francisco Bay area and now lives in Ravenswood.</p><p>An sea of green revelers gathered early Saturday by the handful to watch the Chicago River be dyed for the 64th time as the city celebrates St. Patrick's Day. </p><div class=\"RelatedList Enhancement\" data-module data-align-center> <div class=\"RelatedList-title\">Related</div> <ul class=\"RelatedList-items\"> <li class=\"RelatedList-items-item\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/things-to-do/2026/03/13/where-to-celebrate-st-patricks-day-weekend-in-chicago\" >Where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Chicago</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p>Some took selfies and others laughed as Sabrina Carpenter's melodically upbeat hit \"Espresso\" played over nearby speakers.</p><p>Many spectators were bundled up watching along Wacker Drive near Dearborn and Clark streets as members of the Plumbers Union Local 130 dyed the river green with a orange vegetable-based powder that’s mixed by boats into the river. Crawford, who is still getting acclimated to Midwest weather, was in a coat and blue gloves watching along the Clark Street Bridge.</p><p>\"I wore flip-flops Monday and it's freezing today,\" said Crawford, a 45-year-old practice manager for a pediatric office.</p><p></p><p>Also among those present to see the river being dyed was Patrick McIntosh in an inflatable four-leaf clover costume.</p><div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center> <div class=\"Enhancement-item\" data-crop=\"\"> <figure class=\"Figure\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"image-760000\" name=\"image-760000\"></a> <picture data-crop=\"medium\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a6680f8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffd%2Fae%2F76ace10645199ce59c094fa71c68%2Fimg-9949.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bdf6e7f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffd%2Fae%2F76ace10645199ce59c094fa71c68%2Fimg-9949.jpg 2x\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <source width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4998a46/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffd%2Fae%2F76ace10645199ce59c094fa71c68%2Fimg-9949.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Patrick McIntosh poses for pictures in an inflatable four-leaf clover costume at Saturday's dyeing of the Chicago River.IMG_9949.jpg\" srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4998a46/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffd%2Fae%2F76ace10645199ce59c094fa71c68%2Fimg-9949.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/de1a7f4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffd%2Fae%2F76ace10645199ce59c094fa71c68%2Fimg-9949.jpg 2x\" width=\"490\" height=\"275\" data-src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4998a46/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ffd%2Fae%2F76ace10645199ce59c094fa71c68%2Fimg-9949.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" > </picture> <div class=\"Figure-content\"><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\"><p>Patrick McIntosh poses for pictures in an inflatable four-leaf clover costume at Saturday’s dyeing of the Chicago River.</p></figcaption><span class=\"line\"></span><div class=\"Figure-credit\"><p>Mohammad Samra/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>.</p><p>McIntosh, a 40-year-old construction worker who lives in Logan Square, came as Shrek one year and has lost count of how many times he’s seen the river turn emerald green.</p><p>“My birthday is the day after St. Patrick’s Day, so we come out here and rock it,” said McIntosh, who comes to the dyeing with his wife. “We’re out here just having fun.”</p><p>Since 1962, the dyeing of the river has become part of the celebratory festivities, which includes the St. Patrick's Day parade that steps off at 12:15 p.m. at Columbus and Balbo drives.</p>",
"title": "Chicago's 'rite of passage': Crowds flock early Saturday to watch river turn emerald green",
"updatedAt": "2026-03-14T15:56:32.808Z"
}