What turns the Chicago River green on St. Pattys?
The city used to use 100 pounds of dye. But now they only use about 40 pounds of food coloring. And the power is actually orange when it goes in the water. It turns green when it mixes with the water. “In 1961, Stephen Bailey, a labor leader who was a close friend of Mayor Richard J. Daley, witnessed a plumber tracing a leak in the Chicago River with orange dye. The dye turned the river green and led Bailey to pursue a plan to turn the River green for St. Patrick’s Day. In 1962, 100 pounds of dye were added to the River, enough to keep it green for a week. The city continues to dye the river each St. Patrick’s Day. To minimize pollution, only 40 pounds of food coloring is now used to keep the River green for only a few hours.
