Preparations are underway in downtown San Luis Obispo ahead of St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
For college students, it’s a weekend-long spectacle that begins with a block party on Saturday dubbed "St. Fratty’s Day" followed by traditional St. Patrick’s Day festivities throughout downtown.
“The pinnacle of my college experience is every St. Fratty’s Day,” one Cal Poly student explained.
“I'll cruise down to Hathaway [Street], probably climb the telephone pole," another student said. "Hopefully run before the cops get us.”
With the increased police presence, nuisance violation fines will be doubled in the safety enhancement zones throughout the city through Monday morning.
“Throughout the weekend, the police department has significantly increased staffing to a very large number of officers going to be in town," San Luis Obispo Police Department Lieutenant Jason Dickel said. "Some outside agencies are going to be assisting us as well.”
Local bars like Buffalo Pub and McCarthy’s, they’re expecting the biggest crowds they’ll see all year.
“We'll be sure to have the staff, security staff, bartenders, and just make sure everybody's able to be taken care of," General Manager of Buffalo Pub James Menno said. "We're adhering to Alcoholic Beverage Control, Fire, PD, making sure capacity is always in check and that everybody is safe and having a good time.”
Inventory is part of the preparation as well. A McCarthy’s bartender said they have 30 kegs of Guinness and 18 cases of Jameson bought in preparation. While it’s not quite that number at Buffalo Pub, Menno says it will be one of, it not the biggest day for alcohol sales that they’ll see during the year.
“We probably ordered half a dozen cases of Jameson, about four kegs of Guinness and we'll go through probably almost all of it on St. Paddy’s Day.”
But above all else, it’s a weekend to be safe and responsible while also having fun. That means don’t drink and drive, use a restroom not a neighborhood and as Lieutenant Dickel explained: “Make sure you take care of each other. Drink lots of water and call us if you need us for something.”
Many bars including Buffalo Pub, McCarthy's Irish Pub and Frog and Peach will open their doors at 6 a.m. Sunday.
