Lines around the block at State Patty's 2023 amid heightened police presence

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WJAC) — It may not be Saint Patrick's Day yet but, starting Friday night, crowds of people dressed in green flooded the streets and hit up the bars in downtown State College for the annual State Patty's.

State Patty's was in full swing by Saturday night. The student-made "holiday" has faced criticism over the years for people getting out of hand and for putting a strain on local police and medical teams.

Douglas Braff spoke with those taking part about the tradition and restrictions.

Asked what they were looking forward to, Saturday night, one participant named Matthew replied, "Uh, that's a good question."

His friend Wyatt chimed in: "Um, bars!"

The rest of their friends, in agreement, then says, "Bars! Bars. Bars."

That pretty much sums up State Patty's.

Penn State student Grace Yatcilla told 6 News, "It's a national holiday here!"

Her friend Cat Altman added, "You can't miss it!"

Although, you'll have to get in line first for the bars. And then wait... and wait.... and wait...

"Absolutely atrocious. Atrociously long. Very, very long," Matthew, Wyatt, and their friends Andrew and Jacob said of the lines, a number of which wrapped around street corners.

Ahead of this weekend, State College Borough announced heavy restrictions to keep the rowdiness under control, an issue that's plagued the student-created tradition in years past.

One bar even posted a sign out front that read: "If wearing State Patty's attire, No Entry."

MORE | State College places restrictions ahead of State Patty's 2023

Matthew called the restrictions "bogus." He argued, "We're just— we're just college kids. We're just— we're just being silly, as we do."

Wyatt also remarked, "Let us, let us live, let us live."

However, the restrictions did not deter the revelers, like Gavin Smith and Anthony Libero.

Asked about restrictions, Smith replied, "For me and him [Libero] and all of us, 'restrictions,' it's not in our vocabulary. So, we're gonna do what we want when we want 'cause we're in State Patty's!"

Libero adding: "That's how we rock at Penn State."

It's why people travel from far and wide just to party in State College, like Yatcilla and Altman's friend Matt Lowe from Michigan State University.

Impressed with the town, he observed that there's "college, like, [in] one spot; and a big, like, downtown where you can just, like, hop bar to bar. It's an awesome town, not gonna lie."

Asked how State Patty's compares to other party-filled events popular among college students nationwide, like Mardi Gras, Smith recoiled: "What is Mardi Gras? Yeah, give me State Patty's any day the week!"

Libero also said that State Patty's is "second to none. Top of the list. Absolutely. Go to any school in the country... you need a weekend to come to, State Patty's is the place to be."

All the State Patty's antics and criticisms aside, those who took part told us there's a beauty in the community getting together.

"Well, just look around," said Smith, gesturing to a line of people waiting to enter a bar. "... Everybody's friendly. Everybody's kind of just one collective group."

"State College never lets us down," Libero added.

To ensure the partying remained civil, local and state police were here in full force to try and help keep the peace.

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