Photo c/o Tampa Downtown Partnership
Also part of the celebration is the City of Tampa's tradition of dyeing part of the river green, starting at 11 a.m.
Today, the Tampa Downtown Partnership announced details about the return of the River O’ Green St. Patrick’s Day celebration, which is set for next month at Curtis Hixon Park.
A press release says that the park will be home to seven hours of activities, plus two stages featuring live music, traditional Irish dance, a pet costume contest and more. The Rough Riders’ St. Patrick’s Parade also kicks off at 5 p.m., and marks the first time the parade happens downtown instead of Ybor City, a move that upset some business owners in the historic district who told WFLA that the parade brings in a lot of revenue.
The parade route will start at Joe Chillura Square, head west on Madison Street, turn right on N Ashley Drive, and right again on E Polk St. where it ends at Florida Ave.
There’s even a Lucky Charms eating contest, although former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn—who dreamed up the River O’ Green a dozen years ago—told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay he would probably only do the contest if the cereal was swimming in Guinness.
“I even still fit into my old green pants,” Buckhorn joked, before adding that he was proud of the event, which celebrates Irish culture, plus puts downtown and the river at the center of activity.
Other activities include “hurling” demonstrations, which the release says involves a “a rowdy Irish mix of hockey, baseball, and football.”
There’s no cover to take part in the River O’ Green 2024 celebration and parade happening in and around Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Sunday, March 16 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Also part of the celebration is the city’s tradition of dyeing part of the river green, starting at 11 a.m.
A press release says, “The dye is non-toxic, safe for the environment, biodegradable, and certified to meet National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 60 for use in and around drinking water,” and that it’s been approved by the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission.
But local anglers and environmentalists worry that wildlife in the river may need the luck of the Irish if Tampa follows through with annual plans to dye the river green for St. Patrick's day.
Last year, Dustin Pack, a fishing guide and board member of Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, started a petition asking the City of Tampa to stop dyeing the Hillsborough River.
Pack’s petition, which has more than 5,100 signatures, cites a public records request which revealed that the city uses a chemical powder called “Bright Dyes® FLT Yellow/Green Tablet” to dye the water.
Pack wrote that the Bright Dyes safety sheet lists environmental precautions including instructions to “Prevent from entering into soil, ditches, sewers, waterways and or ground water.” The sheet also advises users to avoid contact with skin, eyes, or clothing.
His petition also includes updates from after last year’s celebration showing green water that spans between the N Boulevard Bridge in Tampa Heights to the mouth of the river. Pack also said he tested a theory “that the dye ‘dissipates in a few hours’” by taking aerial photos 48 hours after the festival, which show the river around the Garrison Channel near Harbour Island to still have a green patina.
“This product is not classified as environmentally hazardous,” the safety sheet adds. “However, this does not exclude the possibility that large or frequent spills can have a harmful or damaging effect on the environment.”
Last year a spokesperson for the City of Tampa told Max Chesnes that Grow Financial spent $16,000 to purchase the dye, of which 300 gallons were used to dye the river.
A rep for the Tampa Downtown Partnership told CL that the celebration will once again utilize the Kingscote Chemicals dye and that $16,000 was once again raised from a collection of private sponsors to make the purchase.
"We plan to continue to work under the supervision of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission and City of Tampa to temporarily color the river each year," Caroline Keesler, Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications for the Partnerhip added. "The dye is safe for the environment, non-toxic, biodegradable, meets all EPA standards, and is certified to comply with National Sanitation Foundation Standard 60. This is the same dye often used in eye surgeries, food, and water systems to trace the flow of drinking water."
UPDATED 02/15/24 5:23 p.m. Updated with comments from a rep for the Tampa Downtown Partnership.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
