Arrests down again for State Patty’s Day

STATE COLLEGE — State College police say arrests were down by about half during the unofficial Penn State drinking holiday known as State Patty’s Day.

For the second year in a row, the school paid bars to stay closed, with 34 of 35 accepting $2,500 to $7,500 — depending on their occupancy — to do so.

State Patty’s Day began in 2007 when St. Patrick’s Day fell on spring break. The holiday no longer coincides with the break, so students now celebrate on the first Saturday of the break.

State College police were still compiling statistics on Sunday, but say arrests were down 47 percent from last year between noon Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday.

Police Lt. Chris Fishel says it was “similar to a football weekend except people are wearing green instead of blue and white.”