CHICAGO (AP) – The Chicago River dyed a bright shade of green Saturday after Mayor Lori Lightfoot reversed an earlier decision not to dye the waterway for a second year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The crews of the boats began throwing green dye on the riverbank around 7 a.m. after Lightfoot cleared the dye before St. Patrick’s Day, delighting pedestrians with the live scene.
Chicago residents Lori Jones and Mike Smith examined the green water, saying they were happy that the tradition dating back to 1962 was resumed this year.
“We are pleased that Mayor Lightfoot decided to continue this tradition because we really lost it last year, like many other things in 2020,” said Jones, 59, the Chicago Tribune.
Last year, Lightfoot abruptly canceled the city’s 2020 parades and river tincture just days before the first days of the pandemic occurred. He called off the parades again this year due to the persistent pandemic and said the river would not be dyed again.
But a Lightfoot spokesman said in a statement that the city chose to “honor the long tradition” and authorized its partners, Chicago Plumbers Union Local 130, to dye the river.
The event was not disclosed in advance “to minimize crowds and avoid crowding,” the spokesman said. “In addition, the Riverwalk will be closed on Saturday and Chicagoans seeking to see the river during the day are urged to ‘keep it moving’ and celebrate it safely and responsibly.”