It began on Friday, March 2, 2007, because Saint Patrick's Day fell during spring break, which would have left students unable to celebrate the holiday while at school and with friends.
Students began flocking the streets of downtown State College, and bars and restaurants in the area opened early to take advantage of the holiday.
Initially, the university offered a flat $5,000 to any downtown business that agreed to either prohibit the sale of alcohol or close on the holiday.
[10] In February 2013, just weeks before the event, a committee of university, community, and student leaders created an agreement with three dozen restaurant and beer shops in the area to halt alcohol sales during the drinking holiday.
[11] Many bar owners had voiced criticism that they had felt "extreme pressure"[12] to close their doors and accept the terms of the deal.
Accordingly, at the UPUA meeting on Jan. 22nd, the motions that were proposed to adopt the University's stance on State Patty's day were amended to reflect the lack of unity on the subject.