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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. Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade Saturday, March 15, 2025 The 70th annual Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the largest in the country and the centerpiece of the city’s unforgettable St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Catch the festive procession on Columbus Drive between Balbo Drive and Monroe Drive. 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. The first official parade was held in 1956, marking the first St. Patrick’s Day parade held in the Loop in 87 years, since 1869. SPOTLIGHT CHICAGO: Charm’d Bar: The Magical Irish Pop-Up 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 South Side Irish Parade runs down Western Avenue between 103rd and 115th Streets and is supposed to have begun when two neighbors decided that their children needed something to do to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The first South Side Parade began in 1981 and continues to be very much a neighborhood affair with Irish step dancers, bands 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 The route for the Chicago St Patrick's Day parade is pretty straightforward and offers plenty of space for those wanting to catch a glimpse. Kicking off at 12.15pm, the parade will depart from the intersection of Columbus Drive and Balbo Drive. When was the first St Patrick's Day parade in Chicago? With a reputed 200,000 Irish-Americans living in The Windy City, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Chicago serves up a heck of a St. Patrick's Day parade.First held way back in 1843, nowadays the event, which will kick off on Saturday, March 15 at 12:00 p.m., is said to draw hundreds of thousands of spectators. Crowds watch as the Chicago River is dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day by the Plumber’s Local 130 in Chicago on March 11, 2023. Credit: Kathleen Hinkel/Block Club Chicago Chicago River Dyeing & St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 10 a.m. Saturday, March 15. Various locations Downtown The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago 2025 always takes place the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day. The parade will begin this year on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at noon. Like previous years, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will move along Columbus Drive from Balbo to Monroe Street. St. Patrick's Day Weekend 2025 in Chicago: St. Patrick Parades, Festivals, and More Things to Do St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Chicago. Photo by US Army Reserve Sgt 1st Class Michel Sauret via Flickr 2.0 Residents will turn out in droves on Saturday to mark St. Patrick’s Day weekend with a dyed-green Chicago River and a parade, but will rain spoil the party? The annual events are attended by After the dyeing of the Chicago River, St. Patrick's Day weekend festivities will continue with the 70th annual Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade. As in years' past, the parade will likely kick Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade. The city's St. Patrick's Day Parade steps off at 12:15 p.m. Saturday at Balbo and Columbus Drive proceeding north to Monroe Street. Street closures as early as 8 Overall, Dublin held its first official state-sponsored parade in 1931, but Ireland’s first official St. Patrick’s Day Parade happened in 1903 in Waterford. MORE FOR YOU St. Patrick’s Day is Monday, March 17. The following are some of the parades and events including parades celebrating the holiday in the area. McHenry ShamROCKS the Fox 2025: 5-11 p.m. Friday The History Of Chicago's Green River And St. Patrick's Day Parades By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on . Mar 16, 2016 3:15PM The city's first parade was held in 1956, five years before the But the first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in North America, not in Ireland. In 1762, Irish soldiers serving in the British army marched through the streets of colonial New York City Metra is proud to join the festivities as a participant in Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15 starting at noon. While you enjoy the celebration, spot the Metra float featuring our employees and their families as they showcase our commitment to serving and connecting communities. Let Metra Be Your Designated Driver.
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