TAMPA, Fla — Tens of thousands of people packed downtown Tampa for the annual River O Green event, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a kelly green-dyed river, food, drinks, Irish dancers and a lemonade stand run by an 8-year-old entrepreneur.
The event, organized by the Tampa Downtown Partnership, brought together residents and visitors for one of the city’s most anticipated celebrations. Mayor Castor was among those who helped kick off the festivities.
WATCH: Tampa’s River O’ Green draws tens of thousands for St. Patrick’s Day celebration
Tampa’s River O’ Green draws tens of thousands for St. Patrick’s Day celebration
One of the event’s lesser-known highlights was a lemonade stand run by 8-year-old Malani Atkinson, who has been selling lemonade since she was 6.
“Tell me how you came up with this idea of a lemonade stand,” Tampa Bay 28’s Blake Phillips asked.
“Because I like to make money and I also have been dreaming about when I’m going to be rich, how much money am I going to make, and I just wanted to make a lemonade stand,” Malani said.
Her mother, Ashea, said her daughter’s passion and self-motivation are what keep them coming back year after year.
“It was just something for her to do and something that she loves doing that I see that I don’t have to push her to do it, that she’s encouraged on her own. So that’s why we stuck with it,” Ashea said.
For many, the centerpiece of the celebration is the river itself — dyed a vivid kelly green. But questions about the dye’s safety are common. Kenyetta Hairston-Bridges, the president and CEO of Tampa Downtown Partnership, addressed those concerns directly.
“The coloring is nontoxic. It’s biodegradable and it meets the EPA standards. And as a matter of fact, this is the same product that’s used in some medical procedures, such as eye surgeries, as well as in the testing of drinking water pipes. So yeah, we feel very confident that it’s safe,” Hairston-Bridges said.
As for how long the green color lasts, the peak color is expected to be gone by the end of Saturday, with the water fully cleared up within the next few days.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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