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The Chicago River glowed a bright emerald green yesterday as the city kicked off its St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
Thousands of cheering onlookers clustered along downtown bridges as members of Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union Local 130 began dumping containers of dye into the river from motorboats Saturday morning. The annual tradition began at 9:30 a.m. and immediately precedes the St. Patrick's Day parade.
The union has done the dyeing since 1962. Organisers had feared that large chunks of ice would impede the process, but recent warm temperatures kept the river clear. The hue typically lasts about six to 12 hours.
The parade began at noon. The route winds through downtown and ends at the landmark Buckingham Fountain.
St Patrick's Day 2014Show all 20 1 /20St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 The zebra crossing on Abbey Road, St John's Wood, is turned green by Tourism Ireland to celebrate St Patrick's Day in London
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 The leaning tower of Pisa is colored in green to celebrate Ireland's national holiday on the eve of the St Patricks Day
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 The leaning tower of Pisa colored in green is part of the initiative 'Global Greening', sponsored by Tourism Ireland, with many famous monuments in many cities of the world which are colored in green to show friendship towards the European island
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 A giant shamrock waves to spectators during the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Montreal
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 'The Rose of WB' makes his way to the float at the start of the 'World's Shortest' Saint Patrick's Day Parade in West Boylston, Massachusetts
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 A participant dressed as a leprechaun on stilts enters Keepers Pub at the finish of the 'World's Shortest' Saint Patrick's Day Parade in West Boylston, Massachusetts
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 A float passes through during St Patrick's Day parade in Central London
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 A man wears a full body suit with Irish colors and a woman dressed like a leprechaun attend the St. Patrick's Day parade in central London
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 The Chicago River being dyed green ahead of the St. Patrick's Day parade in Chicago
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 A child wearing a green hat with a shamrock takes part in a parade celebrating St Patrick's Day, in Bucharest, Romania
St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 Spectators smile as the watch the annual St. Patrick's Day parade
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St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 Japanese youths dance on the street during the 22nd St Patrick's Day Parade at Omotesando fashion district in Tokyo. Some 1,000 people took part in the annual parade
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St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 A waitress serves wine during St. Patrick's Day celebrations at Sheraton Hotel in Surabaya, Indonesia
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St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 Japanese people march as they play musical instruments on the street during the 22nd St Patrick's Day Parade at Omotesando fashion district in Tokyo
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St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 People stand along the river Vilnele to watch as it is colored green to celebrate St Patrick's Day in Vilnius, Lithuania
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St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 Dancers dressed in Irish themed costumes participate in the annual St. Patrick's Day Festival as it passes from Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square through Haymarket
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St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 Members of Penrith Gaels Football Club celebrate St Patrick's Day inside the Three Wise Monkeys Hotel
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St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 Kim Thompson and Simon Kearns celebrate St Patrick's Day inside the Three Wise Monkeys in Sydney, Australia
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St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 Irish Drag Queen Peachy Queen (second from right) poses alongside supporters and prepares to march in the St Patrick's day parade on behalf of all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people for the first time in Sydney, Australia
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St Patrick's Day 2014 St Patrick's Day 2014 Waitress dressed as St. Patrick serve cake and beer during St. Patrick's Day celebrations at Sheraton Hotel on in Surabaya, Indonesia
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A second parade on the city's South Side takes place Sunday.
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