CTA

Chase the Leprechaun With the CTA to All the Fun St. Patrick’s Day Parades and Annual Dyeing of the Chicago River

March 13, 2025

CTA’s trains and buses are the best and most affordable ways to get to Chicagoland St. Patrick’s Day events; Construction work to temporarily impact the Red Line

Be green and save some greens -- CTA is your best and most affordable travel option around Chicagoland while avoiding the traffic hassles surrounding the exciting St. Patrick’s Day parades and other festivities. Customers can save money by purchasing an unlimited rides pass, either the 1-Day ($5) – far more economical and convenient than the price of gas and parking - or the 3-Day ($15) pass – a real budget-saving move.

Service for Upcoming Events

St. Patrick’s Day Parade and River Dyeing

Chicago River, From Wabash to Columbus; Columbus, northbound from Balbo to Monroe

Sat 3/15: River Dyeing – 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; Parade – 12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

  • Rail: All rail lines to downtown will provide access to the parade and river dying area.
  • Bus: Several routes in the area may be rerouted. For additional route information check our website: https://www.transitchicago.com/schedules/

Archer Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade

Archer Avenue, Oak Park to Merrimac – Sat. 3/15 at 12 p.m.

Northwest Side Irish Parade

Northwest Highway, Nagle Avenue to Harlem – Sun. 3/16 at 12 p.m.

South Side Irish Parade

Western Avenue, 103rd Street to 115th Street – Sun. 3/16 at 12 p.m.

United Center Events

  • Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls – Thu. 3/13 at 7 p.m.
  • Mary J. Blige – Fri. 3/14 at 7 p.m.
  • Gabriel Iglesias – Sat. 3/15 at 8 p.m.
  • Seattle Kraken vs. Chicago Blackhawks – Wed. 3/18 at 7:30 p.m.

Service:

  • Rail: Take the Green Line and exit at the new Damen station or exit at the Ashland station from either a Green or Pink line train.
  • Bus: Get to and from the following events via the #20 Madison and #50 Damen bus routes. Customers can also take the #19 United Center Express route post event.

Construction Work to Temporarily Impact Red Line Service

  • Between 9 p.m., Sun. 3/16, and 4 a.m. Sun. 3/17, 95th-bound Red Line subway trains will be rerouted to the elevated tracks between Fullerton and Cermak-Chinatown (More details)
  • At North/Clybourn, Clark/Division, Chicago and Grand stations:
    • For 95th-bound service from these stations, take a Howard-bound train to Fullerton and transfer to a 95th-bound train.
    • For 95th-bound service to these stations, take a 95th-bound train to State/Lake and transfer to a Howard-bound train in the Red Line subway.
  • Downtown:
  • Board/exit 95th-bound trains at any Lake or Wabash Loop elevated station.
  • At Roosevelt station:
    • Board/exit 95th-bound trains on the Green/Orange lines elevated platform.
  • This service change is due to maintenance being done in the State Street subway.

Know before you go!

The CTA strongly recommends customers allow extra travel time and plan ahead by downloading the Ventra app, which allows you to manage your Ventra account, and also features a new trip planning tool powered by Google Maps. 

Fare payment options: We offer a variety of convenient payment options—from smart devices to contactless credit cards. Learn more about payment options and ways you can maximize your dollars with our lower-priced unlimited-ride passes by visiting: transitchicago.com/fares/

Service updates: Stay in the loop on CTA service changes and alerts by subscribing to CTA Updates. For details about all CTA service, call 312-836-7000 or visit the CTA website at transitchicago.com.

 

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