Saturday evening, High Street glittered with glass shards, empty beer cans and distant sounds of police sirens ringing through the air, signaling the end to another Athens fest.
Festivities kicked off in the morning. People dressed sporting tie-dyed shirts and Ray Ban sunglasses and were armed with an arsenal of red Solo cups while wandering up and down the street.
As some parties started in the morning, the Athens City Police were already on the move, including Athens City Police Captain Ralph Harvey.
“I couldn’t even guess how many people will be here,” Harvey said. “Some years High Street is busy, some years it is as dead as can be. We haven’t had any major problems in several years, so that’s what I’m hoping will continue.”
APD’s arrest logs were not available as of press time, but OU Police logs indicate cops arrived at High Street around 3 p.m. and made 12 citations and arrests. Nine were alcohol-related and three regarded disorderly conduct such as public urination, according to police reports.
Kaitlyn Howard, an Ohio University senior studying occupational therapy who attended the fest, said she just wanted to have a good time without upsetting the cops.
“We want to make sure everything we’re doing is legal,” Howard said. “We don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”
The fest gradually picked up in the early afternoon, and trash prompted law enforcement to ask partygoers to pick up the litter. APD eventually asked tenants of 61 N. High St. to remove a couch from the lawn.
Around 2 p.m., 75 N. High St. became the first party reported to be shut down. One man, who could not be identified at the scene, was arrested; however, it wasn’t the first time those residents were warned, Athens City Police Chief Tom Pyle said.
“We shut down a house for violation of nuisance (partying),” Pyle said. “They had several people urinating in public, and at least, I believe, one underage. They have already been warned this morning for trash and other violations, so we shut them down.”
Last year, High Fest saw a total 30 arrests and citations among the Ohio University Police Department, APD and the Ohio Investigative Unit, the division of the state Department of Public Safety that is responsible for undercover liquor agents who descend upon Athens, according to a previous Post article.
Arrests by the unit at this year’s High Fest were also not available by press time.
Law enforcement said they weren’t too concerned about the rowdy parties.
“I think that from a policing perspective, I’m always concerned because there have been people harmed, injured and killed at these kind of events,” Pyle said. “Our current approach to the fest seems to work OK. It is what it is.”
Some people were attending High Fest as guests from other universities and experienced fest season for the first time.
“I’m a fest virgin,” said Mary Grace, who identified herself as an Ohio State University freshman. “This sold me on buying my ticket for 12Fest.”
Students weren’t the only ones in attendance Saturday, though.
“I’m an old fart who decided to come and enjoy Athens,” said Buzz Caul, a 61-year-old Athens resident. “This is a raging party. I’ll be passing out in 15 minutes.”
— Emma Ockerman, Suhyeon Park, Lucas Daprile, Kelly Fisher and Joshua Lim contributed to this report.
@HannahMYang
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