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Thousands descended on an apartment building’s courtyard for Friday’s Palmer Place Fest, which remained relatively calm and void of any major incidents.
The party began early in the mid-morning hours and continued until about midnight, when hired security cleared the partygoers from the complex.
Though there is no official number of attendees, security was prepared for about 3,000 people with 10 security guards and 15 police officers, security guard Bill Miller said.
Athens Police and mounted patrol officers were also available to respond to any problems.
Undercover agents from the Ohio Investigative Unit were also scheduled to be in the area for the weekend fests. The agency’s spokeswoman was unable to be reached for comment.
Athens Police did not release arrest numbers for the fest as of press time.
DJs were featured throughout the day, providing partiers with plenty of music while they played yard and drinking games.
"I feel like they have really embraced the music,” said Joe Sherwood of BustedBASS. “We want to try and turn it into something more constructive by bringing local music on. I hope this will be a recurring aspect of this festival.”
The DJs at the fest were all either Ohio University students or Athens residents, Sherwood said, something that adds to the annual event beyond drinking all day.
For there was plenty of drinking. Empty cans and plastic cups covered the ground by the end of the night after an entire day of drinking.
Rory Kennedy, a senior studying psychology, who said he was the first person in the courtyard at 10 a.m. The fest is a great opportunity to “bro out,” he said.
Security manager Scott Cunningham said the day’s party remained relatively calm into the night, when the fest became more rowdy.
By midnight, the complex was clearing out and, less than 12 hours later, the early-bird drinkers were setting up for Saturday’s Palmer Fest.
“It’s not as packed as it was last year,” junior Dominick Holden said Friday. “Tomorrow is Palmer Fest and it’s going to be a lot better.”
Stay tuned to The Post throughout the day for updates. Check out@thepostlocal and @thepostphoto for constant text and visual updates about #palmerplacefest.
Marika Lee, Katie Grady, Laura Scheer, Xander Zellner and Lucas Daprile contributed to this report.
rc348710@ohiou.edu
