St. Patrick Traditions, Festivities Don’t All Involve Alcohol

It’s not uncommon to associate St. Patrick’s Day with drinking, but for those who aren’t old enough to slosh down green beer at Irish pubs, or simply choose not to, scope out these alcohol-free alternatives which could prove just as festive.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Chicago’s 53rd annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is expected to draw huge crowds clad in green. Every year over 100,000 people gather for the parade which starts at Balbo Drive and travels north on Columbus Drive to Monroe Street, said Kevin Sherlock, parade coordinator.

About 30,000 people are marching in the parade this year, including special guests such as a 350 member band from Clay County, Virginia and various U.S. Border Control units, Sherlock said.

Mayor Richard M. Daley will lead the parade, followed by other city and state politicians. Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, is among those invited to march, but it is uncertain if he will attend.

The parade starts at noon on Saturday March 15. The stand for viewing is in front of Buckingham Fountain at Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway.

The Dyeing of the Chicago River

At 10:45 on the morning of the parade, another Windy City tradition takes place—the dyeing of the Chicago River. Every year crowds gather to see the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers release an orange liquid into the river that transforms the water into an emerald green.

What is in the dye to make the water such a vivid Irish green? The formula is a well kept secret.

“We have the special sauce,” Sherlock said. “It’s a secret, but it’s totally safe.”

The ritual started in the early 60s when plumbers were testing the buildings along the Chicago River for illegal dumping, said Sherlock. The plumbers put a green dye into the sewer systems to see what water systems leaked into the river and turned the river water green. From there, Chicago adopted it as an annual St. Patrick’s Day event and made the dye environmentally safe.

“The first time we did it, it lasted three weeks,” said Sherlock. Now the river stays green for three to six hours.

Places to snag a good glance at the green river are on the upper levels of the Michigan Avenue, and Columbus Drive bridges. “The higher up the better,” said Sherlock.

St. Patrick’s Day Brunch at the Four Seasons Hotel

Sunday, March 16, the Four Seasons Hotel will host its 2nd annual St. Patrick’s Day brunch, laden with festive food and entertainment. Irish dancers will entertain as guests indulge in traditional Irish cuisine.

The meal is a selection of “traditional Irish favorites with a special twist,” said Terri Hickey, director of public relations at the hotel. Choices include grilled Irish salmon, potatoes, roasted Irish bacon with braised cabbage and Irish soda bread pudding with whiskey cream.

The executive chef was among the opening culinary team for the Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, so he has a distinct knowledge of the native cuisine, said Hickey.

Unlike the other events, this one isn’t free. The brunch, starting at 10:15 a.m., costs $85, $25 for kids ages 4 to 12. It will be held on the seventh floor of the hotel, 120 E. Delaware Place. Reservations are recommended.