Last March, San Luis Obispo saw a major shift in St. Patrick’s Day festivities near Cal Poly, replacing rowdy street parties with a campus celebration that drew thousands of students.
Cal Poly’s early-morning concert, Morning on the Green, became a key part of a joint effort between the university and the city to reduce alcohol-related incidents and property damage.
According to Chief Rick Scott of the San Luis Obispo Police Department, “Zero street parties; that’s going to continue to be our focus this year.”
In 2025, more than 5,000 students arrived at the Sports Complex Lower Fields for the concert. The change contributed to a sharp decline in arrests, just four over the entire St. Patrick’s Day weekend, with 23 law enforcement agencies patrolling surrounding neighborhoods.
Students say the concert provided a fun, controlled alternative.
“I went last year and it was a great time. I’d say probably one of my top three experiences at Cal Poly,” said Cal Poly student Zachary Koller.
But demand exceeded capacity. At one point, gates toppled during a surge of students trying to enter.
This year, organizers have nearly tripled capacity to 14,000 tickets. Cal Poly’s Matt Lazier says tickets released last Tuesday were claimed almost immediately.
“That will be a safer entry experience. The main learning item from last year was that the entry bottlenecks slowed things down. This corrects that,” said Ryan Gruss, Assistant Vice President of Performing Arts, Events, and Campus Engagements.
Students believe the change will make the event even more accessible.
“Them opening it up to a lot more students will be more fun and allow more people to join,” Koller added.
Safety enhancements will be active throughout March, leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. Police enforcement zones will focus on holding both students and visitors accountable.
“We have zero tolerance for breaking laws and policies,” Cal Poly's Assistant VP of Public Safety George Hughes emphasized.
Morning on the Green takes place Friday, March 14, from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Cal Poly. The event is exclusive to students with tickets.
For more information on safety enhancement zones and both the city and university's policies, you can visit respectslo.com and the Cal Poly website.
