Warm temperatures draw throng of revelers for St. Patrick's Day weekend in Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Huge crowds of revelers bedecked in green flooded into Chicago for the city's St. Patrick's Day festivities Saturday – with the warmer temperatures making said festivities all the more enticing.
In River North – a section of the city with a lively party scene any given weekend – there was a lot of green and a lot of light layers to be seen. There were even shorts and short-sleeved shirts, which of course is not exactly typical for St. Patrick's Day weekend in Chicago.
But those warm temperatures were good news for people checking out the river, or waiting to get inside the bars.
Pippin's Tavern – formerly at 860 N. Rush St. and now a jog to the southwest at 39 E. Chicago Ave. - had a line outside to get in all afternoon. CBS 2 talked to some people who were hoping to get in.
"We talked earlier this year. For everybody's birthday, we want to go somewhere special," said Todd Grubbs, who was celebrating his own birthday. "My first wish was to come here. So here we are."
"It's been very nice. It's better than Michigan," said Laura Wollet, visiting from the Wolverine State, "and we just came to see the green river and kind of an Irish pub tour."
"I did bring a winter coat that I left at the hotel," said Lisa Gubbs, who was visiting from Florida, "so it's not as bad."
Inside, the bar is packed as the afternoon rolled on. CBS 2 talked with the owner's daughter, who left at midnight Friday night and returned at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. As to when she will leave Saturday night, it remained undetermined in the late afternoon.
Having St. Patrick's Day fall on Sunday makes for big business for the entire weekend – though on Sunday, forecasts have much colder temperatures in store.
