St Paddy's Day in Chicago

Every year St Patrick's Day falls during IU's Spring Break. (Normally we go to The Irish Lion for a lamb burger and a half-yard of cider.) Last year we were keen to head up to Chicago to see their big parade but we found out too late that it's not usually on the day but the Saturday before. This year St Patrick's Day fell on a Saturday so Cindy felt that we absolutely had to go.

We drove up the day before and found a cheap motel within walking distance of a railway station. Then we got up the next morning and caught the train into town to see them dye the river green at 10 am.

A few blocks south of there they held the parade. It started off with the sorts of groups you'd expect: Gaelic pride, Irish dance troupes, dignitaries like the mayor (I think the Irish PM was even in town but he's a bit nondescript-looking so I have no idea if I saw him in the middle of the secret service officers.) There were also Catholic schools, the Knights of Columbus (the only ones who tried to be provocative) and various politicians and judges campaigning for re-election. But after a while it started to get a bit random. Politicians gave way to trade unions; dance schools gave way to Ronald McDonald and the Irish heritage groups gave way to individual families and even a float of Assyrians!