River turns green with no ice or incidents

(Above) Architecture writer Lynn Becker captured this view of the State Street, Dearborn Street, and even the Clark Street bridges swarmed with revelers. (Click on image to view larger version.)

By Steven Dahlman

March 17, 2014 – Ice on the Chicago River was not an issue on Saturday morning and the river turned green for the 53rd time.

With the ice melting late this year, and trapping tour boats on the nearby Calumet River, organizers had a plan to break through any ice on the Chicago River as long as it was not more than five inches thick.

It was cold – about 19 degrees – but there was no ice.

The event usually attracts about 50,000 people, although an estimate by the city this year was considerably higher. Chicago police report there were no major incidents.

The dyeing of the river started promptly at 9:30 a.m. just west of the Columbus Drive Bridge, with Chicago Journeymen Plumbers, Local 130, mixing 40 pounds of environmentally friendly vegetable-based orange dye into the river. It was bright green well into the afternoon.

(Left) Plumbers in a boat speed past Trump International Hotel & Tower. (Photo by Steven Dahlman.)

There was no sign this year of the “flying leprechaun” that entertained the crowd at last year’s event. Chris Hagstrom, a 31-year-old Chicagoan who has trained to compete and perform professionally on a water craft known as a “flyboard,” appeared to soar about 15 feet over the water.

(Below) A boat on a very green Chicago River. Bridge historian Jim Phillips captured this image from the DuSable Bridge. (Click to view larger version.)