Evening rain, cool temperatures and orange fences did not deter hundreds of students from partying at Palmerfest, an annual off-campus block party on Palmer Street.
Palmerfest was more violent this year than last, with 26 arrests made Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Those arrests included disorderly conduct violations, underage consumption charges and public urination charges, according to an Athens Police Department report.
Last year, nine students were arrested at Palmerfest on similar charges.
APD also received two complaints that students were attempting to set couches on fire on Palmer Street, and a police officer was injured trying to arrest an intoxicated person. The officer was treated and released from O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, and no one was arrested in connection with the couch fires, according to the report.
Extra police, including four mounted officers, patrolled the street during much of Palmerfest, Athens police chief Richard Mayer said.
Ohio University senior Dustin Meckes said he noticed fewer police officers this year than at previous Palmerfests.
Many students appreciated the minimal patrolling and the mounted officers going up and down the street to keep things in order, OU junior Jon Greene said.
In previous years, they're just standing every 10 feet
Greene said. They're just daring you.
At about midnight, police began patrolling the area, asking residents to turn down some of the music and trying to thin out the crowd, partygoers said.
Approximately 10 houses on the street had put up orange mesh, construction-type fencing, to prevent uninvited guests from entering their parties.
The fencing helped house owners to monitor who entered each party and protect themselves from charges of furnishing alcohol to minors, Hocking College junior Seamus Goggin said. Goggin and his housemates were admitting people to their party through their back door and checking IDs of entrants.
The fences were not entirely successful in blocking students out of parties. By about 11 p.m., Goggin was outside with a mallet, trying to straighten the poles that once had held up the fence.
Some students, however, were not impressed by this year's turnout.
It's been the weakest Palmerfest ever Meckes said, adding that he does not think rain stopped students from coming.
Some students, such as 23-year-old Paul Radcliffe from Cleveland, came in from out of town for the party. Radcliffe, who was visiting his sister Sara, an OU sophomore, said he came for the atmosphere and the college lifestyle that the fest epitomizes.
OU sophomore Mitch Gehrisch brought his dad, Michael, to Palmerfest. Gehrisch, who came from Laguna Beach, Calif., said the trip was worthwhile, 'Cause I love to party!
Despite the rain and fences, most people seemed to have a good time.
OU students can party through pretty much anything junior Meredith Baron said.' Kantele Franko contributed to this report.
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