Police, Penn State crackdown on ‘State Patty’s Day,’ criticized as an excuse for drinking

Police, Penn St. target St. Patty’s Day lookalike

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Bars served green beer, stores sold green shirts and revelers took to the streets at dawn.

The unofficial holiday known as “State Patty’s Day” has looked a lot like a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the three years since it was created by a Penn State student, except that it never actually took place on the Irish holiday.

This year, police, businesses and student leaders are trying to crack down on State Patty’s Day, which is Saturday. It follows a groundswell of community criticism that the event encouraged excessive drinking and destructive behavior.

Fraternities have voted to ban wine and hard alcoholic drinks. Bars have decided to keep normal hours, and two establishments say they will close entirely to send a message to promote responsible drinking.