State Patty’s Day, in Fifth Year, Sees Strong Reaction

It started simply enough.

Back in 2007, when the traditional Saint Patrick’s Day fell during Penn State spring break, students didn’t want to miss the Irish-themed drinking traditions in State College. And so some of them created State Patty’s Day, an alternative drinking holiday.

Since then, the annual downtown occasion has ballooned into a bonanza of drinking, along with dramatically increased police and ambulance calls.

As of early Friday afternoon, nearly 30,000 people — many of them non-Penn Staters — had indicated on Facebook that they plan to be in State College on Saturday for the fifth annual State Patty’s Day.

But responses this year have been preemptive and clearly stated.

As many as eight downtown watering holes will not offer alcohol service Saturday. Some Penn State student leaders have organized an alternative ‘State Service Day’ of community service. Dozens of local residents are engaged in a community-outreach effort.

Schlow Centre Region Library is offering some non-alcohol-related programs of its own. (See low in this report for details.)

StateCollege.com will cover the weekend as it unfolds. Here’s an overview of the coverage we’ve posted:

• State Patty’s Day Arrests, Police Calls Reach New Highs (March 1, 2011)

• Medical Center Sees Dozens of Alcohol-Related Cases on State Patty’s Weekend (Feb. 28, 2011)

• On State Patty’s Day, Local Volunteers ‘Not Here to Fight’ (Feb. 28, 2011)

• Police: High Call Volume Persisted through State Patty’s Day Weekend (Feb. 27, 2011)

• PHOTOS: State Patty’s Day Brings Long Lines, Community Effort to State College (Feb. 27, 2011)

• Police: Calls, Crowds Grow for State Patty’s Day 2011 (Feb. 26, 2011)

• State College Liquor Stores to Close Early on State Patty’s Day (Feb. 25, 2011)

• POLL: How Will You Spend State Patty’s Day? (Feb. 25, 2011)

• Facebook Helps Power State Patty’s Day Connections (Feb. 25, 2011)

• Dante’s Establishments to Close Bars for State Patty’s Day (Feb. 24, 2011)

• Two State College Bars to Close for State Patty’s Day; Others May Join (Feb. 24, 2011)

• Students Plan Service Activities to Coincide with State Patty’s (Feb. 17, 2011)

• Police: For Local Bars, State Patty’s Day Marked ‘Turning Point’ (Feb. 27, 2011)

• For State Patty’s Day, State College Wants a Community Presence (Feb. 9, 2011)

• State Patty’s Day: Reflection of Indiscretions (Feb. 25, 2010)