As the green-colored, (usually) drink-filled day of Fake Patty’s quickly approaches, students are starting to prepare for a day dancing and partying.

The day is all about getting in the Irish spirit and partying with friends. Students make their way around town, going to different fraternities and downtown bars. 

Sophomore journalism major Rachel Mckean and sophomore accounting major Carys Cindric celebrated Fake Patty’s Day last year and said they are very excited for the day parties, also known as darties. 

“We don’t have a lot of darties, so I think any darty in general gets students excited,” McKean said. “Anytime we get to go out during the day, it’s special.” 

Fake Patty’s Day, set for March 9 this year, started in 2007 in Manhattan, Kansas, when Patrick Atchity, a college student who worked at a bar, came up with the idea, according to KSNT News out of Topeka. 

The town scheduled a St. Patrick’s Day parade during spring break, and Atchity wanted to do something for students to make up for them missing out on the celebration. Since then, the idea has stuck and many colleges now celebrate Fake Patty’s Day. 

Cindric said she had high expectations going into the celebration last year and recalled one of her favorite memories.

“It was fun when they were throwing McChickens off the roof at Kappa Sig,” Cindric said. “I stole it out of some dude’s hand, I was like, ‘That is mine’, and I had to fight him for this chicken sandwich because I was starving.” 

McKean and Cindric said they love to go to Tau Kappa Epsilon, TKE, but said no matter where they go, it’s still fun to enjoy the atmosphere and be with their friends. 

Gianni Weaver, a junior applied communications major and vice president of Ski Club, has been busy planning the Ski Club darty to ensure that students have a fun and safe time on Fake Patty’s Day. 

“I really just want the darty to have a really big turnout, with a ton of people,” Weaver said. “I like it more because I just know Ski Club has really great and fun events, but at the same time, we always make sure everyone is safe.” 

Weaver enjoys seeing people he knows and what outfits everyone is wearing. This year, he said he is excited to DJ a little bit at the Ski Club party. 

“I have a lot already set up and ready to go, but now it’s just seeing what I choose to play on the day of, depending on what the crowd is feeling,” Weaver said. “Rattlin’ Bog is always a popular favorite and I’m trying to find a couple Irish remixes that would be cool to play and get people in the Irish spirit.” 

Weaver plans to make the Ski Club party different from every other frat party by planning games and possibly getting a food truck. This year, the club also teamed up with a local business named Pixie to create Fake Patty’s Day shirts to sell to students. 

“Drinking aside, it’s one of those holidays where the whole campus is excited,” Weaver said. “It’s just a fun thing and it’s cool to see people go all out with green hair and shamrock glasses.”

Sophomore public relations major EmaLee Dedrick works as an ID scanner at Brewhouse Pub and is working her first Fake Patty’s Day. 

“The only big day I had to work was Halloween weekend,” Dedrick said. “I’m expecting it to be more crazy than Halloween because what I’ve heard is that people come and go more often, but I think it will be fun because there will be so many people there and I’m excited to see everyone decked out in their St. Patrick’s Day clothing.” 

Dedrick said Brewhouse is preparing for the holiday by ordering more stock and scheduling plenty of bartenders. She said the bar has been open for the holiday before, so they know what to expect and how to prepare. 

“It’s just a fun day and everyone gets to dress up,” Dedrick said. “I’m Irish too which makes the celebration more fun. I even like it more than Halloween.” 

Freshman finance major Aleah Unkefer and freshman photography major Emily McMasters plan on celebrating their first Fake Patty’s Day this year by going to frat parties with their friends. 

“I’m excited to experience our first one,” Unkefer said. “I’ve heard that it is a lot of fun and I’ve seen pictures, so I just want to be there and experience it for myself.” 

Junior fashion merchandising major Julia Dunn has always been busy in past years for Fake Patty’s day, but she said she is excited to finally get a chance to go out and celebrate. 

“I think students get so excited about Fake Patty’s Day because there’s no specific meaning behind the holiday,” Dunn said. “You can create your own meaning and spend time with friends.” 

Fake Patty’s Day is all about the partying, but students want to remind others to stay safe during the festivities. 

“Just be safe, it’s one day out of the year so keep that in mind,” Weaver said. “This goes out to all students of any age, be safe and be smart.” 

Adrianna Quinlan is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].