St. Patrick’s Day has long been associated with the celebration of Irish heritage (real and fake) and excessive drinking. Combine it with the college party scene and you have…well, a blackout. Though not every school throws down on March 17, green-clad ragers shake college towns every year. Take a look at 17 schools to drown in green beer this St. Patrick’s Day.
1. University of Delaware
UD students know how to take a house party to the next level. Every year, off-campus Newark neighborhoods become the sites of massive blowouts, excessive noise and streets full of garbage. Last year, Elite Daily reported that a couple was caught having sex behind a dumpster. At least someone was getting the “luck of the Irish.”
2. Binghamton University
St. Patty’s comes early in Binghamton to avoid conflict with the New York City parade. Thousands descend on the city for a day of Irish coffee and block parties. With some areas designated for open containers, you don’t even have to trade the parade for booze.
3. University of Colorado-Boulder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBtSr3keMDA
The university gained St. Patty’s notoriety back in 2012 when one apartment threw a Project-X style rager with students pouring off balconies and into the courtyard. In 2013, “I’m Schmacked” showed a Boulder overwhelmed in a sea of green shots, marijuana, live music and inebriation. You can only guess what this year will offer.
4. University of Chicago
While the university may not have its own specially-named event, its city location certainly throws down. The days leading up to St. Patty’s see Chicago washed in emerald. If one of the nation’s largest parades (Ferris Bueller, anyone?) wasn’t enough, the city even dyes the river green. Just remember to stay dry and keep your drinking to your own beer.
5. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Student-created “IUPatty’s” has gained notoriety in recent years. Last year’s boozing saw traffic stopped on a frat row clogged with partiers. The day later resulted in a massive brawl in which police whipped out their pepper spray. Several students were brought in on felony riot charges. Maybe the “Fighting Irish” don’t only go to Notre Dame.
6. Boston College
Although any school in a city claiming to be more than 20 percent Irish is a good choice, BC rises above the rest with its heritage programs. BC has an extensive Irish literature collection and its Gaelic Roots program presents lectures, traditional dances and music. When you’re done listening, head down to South Boston for the “Southie” Parade, the oldest in the country. Just don’t think you can order a car bomb; you’ll find yourself unconscious in the street.
7. University of Scranton
Slammed in the middle of a town claiming the second largest parade in the country, thousands head to this college every year. But don’t think that everyone makes it to the parade. Bro Bible reports that 7 a.m. car bombs and gigantic house parties leave students a little too delirious for paper mache floats and marching bands.
8. Kansas State University
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE-pgiQYkDM
Manhattan, Kansas’s biggest drinking holiday, Fake Patty’s Day, closes the Aggieville bar district to traffic every year. Local businesses provide attendees with live music, food and complimentary water (thank you, gods). The mayhem forces local authorities to bring in additional police from across the state. 2013 saw 203 alcohol-related incidents according to a local news outlet.
9. University of Albany
At least in Albany, the Dr. Seuss classic becomes “Green Eggs and Kegs” for the day. Albany’s annual Keg and Eggs lives in St. Patty’s infamy. While most students traditionally begin the party at 6 a.m., some have been known to start at midnight and booze until the bars open. In 2011, the Times Union reported that police had to break up a riot with batons when hundreds of students clogged streets and began destroying property.
10. University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
When St. Patty’s fell over spring break, a local bartender created “Unofficial,” a day long drinking event the Friday before St. Patrick’s day. The rest is history. Bars open early in the morning and students rage despite classes. Be careful if you do decide to make it to bio. Police are known to guard lecture halls.
11. University of Massachusetts-Amherst
The annual Blarney Blowout always proves a strain on university officials. Last year saw more thousands of students cramming into apartments and more than 70 arrests according to a local news outlet. Students antagonized police by pelting officers with snowballs and beer cans. This year the university hopes to calm down the partying by banning guests from the dorms and holding a music festival featuring Ke$ha and Juicy J. Can Ke$ha’s glitter replace green beer?
12. Penn State University
For one day every year, PSU students bleed green rather than blue and white. Despite university attempts to halt the student created “State Patty’s Day,” including paying bars to close and providing entertainment alternatives, the party thrives in off-campus apartments, houses and fraternities. This year the number of police incidents decreased even though the bars remained open. Well, if you ignore a student getting tazed at McDonald’s.
13. University of Miami-Ohio
It’s hard to compete with tradition. Miami students have been celebrating Green Beer Day the Thursday before spring break since 1953. Bars have been known to start serving green colored beer at 5 a.m. and students attend lectures absolutely annihilated. That’s one way to make organic chemistry more fun.
14. University of Dayton
Topping Bro Bible’s list of St. Patty’s parties, this Ohio school tends to make the news year after year. The population of the small Catholic college explodes with visitors descending on the town for a day of drunken hysterics beginning with the rising sun. According to the Huffington Post, in 2013 riot-geared police broke a green-clad mob of a thousand after partiers threw beer bottles and destroyed 11 cars. But not all parties end in violence. Urban legend claims that David Letterman named Dayton one of the four places to be on St. Patty’s along with New York, Dublin and Chicago.
15. University of South Carolina
USC students and others descend on downtown Columbia to the Five Points Bar district for Irish-themed festivities. Streets are blocked from traffic, local musicians are brought in, and open container laws disappear for the day. Tickets can be bought in advance with some proceeds going toward local interests. Party and do some good?
16. West Virginia University
Morgantown is simply a must for any party animal. Featured in “I’m Shmacked: The Movie,” last year’s festivities included couch fires, smashed cars, slip-and-slides and debauchery. Never give a top party school an excuse to take things to the next level.
17. Missouri University of Science and Technology
The school known for its engineers has a long-standing relationship with good ole St. Patrick; students allegedly dubbed him the patron saint of engineering in the early 1900s. Since then, March has meant 10 days of celebration, including a parade, competitions, grand ball and a lot of drinking. Don’t be alarmed if you see a frat bro carrying a massive shillelagh. He’s just commemorating the good saint ridding Ireland of snakes by “killing” plastic ones.
