Thousands of Cal Poly students flood SLO neighborhood for St. Fratty’s Day. Here’s a look
Light was just beginning to creep over northern San Luis Obispo as thousands of Cal Poly students flooded the neighborhoods in varying states of intoxication Saturday morning.
Clad in Irish green and maybe or maybe not drinking alcohol in public, the mass of students flooded from their homes to the stretch of Hathway Avenue between Carpenter Street and Fredericks Street, turning out as early as 4 or 5 a.m. for the day’s festivities.
Donnovan McAbee, a fourth-year Cal Poly student, said this was his fourth — and possibly largest — St. Fratty’s Day so far.
“In other years, we’ve had a great time with it, but this year there’s a lot more cops here, so you’ve got to watch yourself,” McAbee said.
Like many people in attendance, McAbee said he started drinking around 3:15 a.m. and planned to keep partying until around noon.
First-year students Brooke Baxmim and Nadia Hutchinson said this was their first St. Fratty’s Day party, and they had high expectations for the infamous celebration.
“I’m about to dive in,” Hutchinson said, adding she had “level 10” expectations for the party.
A San Luis Obispo Police Department officer at the scene of the party estimated around 6,000 to 7,000 people turned out Saturday morning to party.
The revelers appeared well-behaved for the most part.
At one point, one person dressed in an Irish flag tried to climb a telephone pole. And a car on Hathaway Avenue had a smashed windshield.
SLO cracks down on St. Fratty’s celebrations
The city of San Luis Obispo doubled fines for noise ordinances, public urination, open container and other similar crimes from Friday to Monday ahead of the party, while the San Luis Obispo Police Department told The Tribune it has significantly increased staffing for Saturday and Sunday.
Police spokesperson Christine Wallace said in an email that past years’ celebrations typically began between 4 and 6 a.m. Saturday morning. The agency asks anyone who chooses to party on St. Fratty’s Day to be respectful and be good neighbors.
“Residents should expect to see many police officers, and if residents choose to break the law, they should expect citations and arrests.”
“Keep alcohol inside their houses, keep music volumes low and inside the house, find a toilet instead of using the street and do not drink and drive,” Wallace said.
St. Fratty’s Day has brought neighborhood disturbances in the past.
In 2015, a roof collapsed during a St. Fratty’s Day party, injuring eight people. Last year, a crowd of nearly 4,000 — mostly Cal Poly students — closed down streets near campus during an early-morning St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
Wallace said the closed streets last year were the result of the crowds that gathered. She said the department is prepared to close the streets again if needed.
The Tribune reached out to the San Luis Obispo Police Department for comment on Saturday’s festivities but has not received a reply.
This story was originally published March 16, 2024 at 9:59 AM.
