St. Patrick's Day is a huge holiday in Chicago, and the parade is the largest in the city (you may have seen Harrison Ford utilize the large crowds to escape in "The Fugitive"). Led by our Irish king, "Hizzoner" Mayor Richard M. Daley, thousands line up along Columbus Drive the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day. No matter your heritage, everyone at the parade is full of Irish blood, blarney, and green beer.

The parade is the Saturday before the actual calendar date of Saint Patrick's Day. This allows families to participate in the festivities without having to remove their children from school.

Chicago's St. Patrick's Day parade is certainly the biggest and liveliest in town, filled with thousands of marchers, colorful floats, marching bands, bagpipers, and glad-handing politicians.

Festivities start with the dyeing of the Chicago River green at 10:45 am, a tradition that started in 1962. Dubbed the "Irish miracle", the dye used actually goes in the river orange, and as some say, gets a leprechaun's help to then turn into its true shade of kelly green. Any of the bridges that cross the river on the north side of the Loop offer a good view -- those at LaSalle, State, or Dearborn are a good bet, with Michigan and Columbus being the best.