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By 1960, Rice notes, the West Side Irish and Southtown parades had merged with Daley’s State Street parade, making the St. Patrick’s Day Parade as it exists today the main attraction in Chicago. Credit: Kathleen Hinkel/Block Club Chicago. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade in Chicago was held in 1843, when the city’s population was between 8,000 and 12,000. Marchers included citizens, a band and a military group of Irish men called the Montgomery Guard, who had spent the winter raising money for uniforms that debuted in the parade. The history of St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago goes back more than 175 years. Now a longstanding tradition, Chicago’s Irish parade was first held in 1843. The dyeing of the Chicago River was added in 1962, quickly becoming one of Chicago’s most famous events. The first Irish parade in Chicago was organized in 1843 by victims of British discrimination, and the St. Patrick’s Day parade became a talisman against an outbreak of a similar prejudice in The first St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown Chicago was held on March 17, 1843. It was a modest affair, representing the Irish of Chicago, who then numbered about 775. The marchers trooped down Clark Street with “Smiling John” Davlin as grand marshal and Capt. Patrick Kelly leading an Irish military unit known as the Montgomery Guards. Members of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union 130 UA dye the Chicago River green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Loop, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times Share Get A parade float heads down State Street during the St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1970. Jerry Tomaselli, Chicago Tribune Demonstrators plead their case outside the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in 1982. The WTTW original documentary reveals how the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local 130, UA, became involved in organizing the city’s downtown St. Patrick’s Day parade, how the dyeing of the Chicago River became a global event, the process behind the crowning of the queen and the selection of the grand marshal, and what it means to be Irish. The first St Patrick's Day parade took place in Chicago all the way back in 1843. Taking place on March 17 to mark the Irish holiday for the patron saint of the country, the first St Patrick's Day parade in The Windy City was a small affair. Read more: Chicago St Patrick's Day Parade 2023: Start time, routes and important info The Irish government didn’t recognize St. Patrick’s Day as a public holiday until 1903, and the first parade in Dublin wasn’t held until 1931. Even pubs remained closed on March 17 until 1961. New Orleans has Mardi Gras. We have St. Paddy's Day! After all, one of the greatest scenes in film history was shot in the middle of the famous parade. Zoom in: Here's a list of St. Paddy's celebrations for foodies, families, teetotalers and more. For the diehards (and us!) Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade will kick off at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, stepping off from Columbus and Balbo drives and heading north through Grant Park. The celebration, one of the largest CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago goes green this weekend, as the city celebrates St. Patrick's Day. Besides the river dyeing and parade, the Guinness Open Gate Brewery is one of the most popular places to be. St. Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish culture that takes place annually on March 17, the anniversary of the patron saint of Ireland's death in the fifth century. The holiday has The 70 th annual Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade will take place on Columbus Drive between Balbo Drive and Monroe Drive shortly after the river is dyed green, according to officials. But with kids, it might be just as fun to hit one of the many neighborhood celebrations—the South Side St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday is family-friendly, as are the Northwest Side celebration, and the St. Patrick's Festival at the Irish American Heritage Center. The family-friendly celebration has grown into the largest community-based St. Patrick’s Day parade outside of Ireland, according to its website. The Northwest Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade features family-oriented activities like face-painting. Credit: Provided Northwest Side Irish Parade. Noon Sunday, March 16 The Parade starts off from Wilson Street and Spring Road heading north and ends at the railroad tracks one block south of St. Charles Road. The best parade in Chicagoland, the Elmhurst St. Patrick’s Day parade is expected to attract a large crowd. Saturday’s West Suburban Irish Naperville St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Naperville is a true community event, featuring more than 3,000 participants and typically bringing out about
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