The spectacle of people sliding in the mud and drinking from beer bongs in the hazy, smoke-filled atmosphere at 12Fest drew the attention of not only other festgoers, but also of law enforcement.
State undercover liquor agents arrested 85 people on 124 charges. Arrest numbers from other law enforcement agencies like the Athens Police Department — which #Fest founder Dominic Petrozzi said had officers on site — were not made available by press time.
That’s down from the 109 arrests the unit made at 11Fest last spring, according to a previous Post article.
Some charges pressed included fake identification, underage alcohol consumption and marijuana abuse, said Eric Wolf, administrative agent for the Ohio Investigative Unit.
“We do everything we can so that the festival is fun and safe for everyone,” Wolf said.
The unit is a branch of the state Department of Public Safety.
It was not clear as of press time how many Ohio University students were arrested.
Maddie Rospert, 18, of Norwalk, Ohio, said she came to 12Fest after hearing about the fest and because it was well-advertised.
“It’s really easy to drink here. It’s not hard,” Rospert said. “18-year-olds can drink easily. You’re an adult. Do whatever you want.”
All that would be left from the fest would be some shoes that were sucked into the mud, crushed Natural Light beer cans and 12Fest flyers that littered the ground.
Some buses still left attendees to make an hour-long walk from The Venue after the fest; however, some still considered the day to be a successful one.
“It’s so cool, (and) so much fun,” said Maria Figueroa, an OU freshman studying business. “It’s the best time of my life. I love OU.”
@HannahMYang
hy135010@ohiou.edu
