Science & Nature
St. Patrick’s Day Dyeing O’ the Pond Tradition Returns to Garfield Park Conservatory
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional St. Patrick's Day dye job is back at Garfield Park Conservatory, March 13, 2026. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News).
As an opening act for Saturday’s traditional St. Patrick’s Day dyeing of the Chicago River, the fern pond at Garfield Park Conservatory turned its own shade of Kelly green on Friday.
Though slightly less dramatic than the downtown ceremony, which involves powerboats spewing dye in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators, the conservatory’s produced the same electric effect.
The dye job was left to Gustav Roman, aka the Fern Man, who strapped on his waders, picked up his watering can and stepped into the pond, spreading a concoction containing the same (secret) formula as used on the river.
The pond was routinely colored in the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this is the first year it’s happened since.
“I begged them: Oh, can we just pick it (back) up? Because we had some extra of that green stuff,” Roman said. “They were like, ‘That’s fine, go ahead and do it.”
In years past, toy remote-control boats would help spread the coloring, but this year, it was all Roman. The liquid dye, he said, was a huge improvement over the days when he had to mix powder and water, and usually wound up covered in green himself.
According to the Chicago Park District, the dye is non-toxic and biodegradable, posing no threat to the pond’s resident fish and turtles.
Not that it’s a competition, but there is one bit of magic at the conservatory folks won’t find downtown. Look for the leprechaun with the pot of gold.
Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]
