Chicago River dyed green for St Patrick’s Day parade as celebrations begin

Chicago marked St Patrick’s Day early on Saturday (15 March) by dyeing its river green.

The city's celebrations kicked off over the weekend, even though the official holiday falls on Monday (17 March). The river dyeing took place along the stretch between Columbus Drive and Orleans Street, with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade following in downtown Chicago.

This iconic event, which began in 1962, was initiated by the Plumbers Local Union to use green dye for tracing sewage in the water and detecting leaks in the city's pipes.