Green Beer Day festivities take over bars in the morning and backyards in afternoon

This is a developing story that will be updated with new information throughout the day.

With temperatures set to be below freezing, students will have to take both the weather and increased policing into account when celebrating the Oxford tradition of Green Beer Day (GBD).

Nevertheless, students are gearing up for the second annual ginger run and a 5:30 a.m. opening time for bars.

Check back with The Miami Student throughout the day for updates on how the day is progressing.

1 a.m.

Green Beer Day (GBD) kicked off with limited celebrations but with various fraternity parties. Most businesses were closed, with the bright lights of Bagel and Deli showering the otherwise dark bricks of High Street. There were no signs of police in the area.

Besides frat parties, several students gathered at the Phi Delt Gates to buy hot dogs from the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha and pancakes from Cincy Smiles.

Ian Mason, a junior supply chain and operations management major, and the province council representative of Phi Mu Alpha, said selling hotdogs is a great way to raise money for various music events on campus. Other than raising money for his music fraternity, he also plans to partake in Green Beer Day festivities.

“[Later today], [I’m] probably going to do some Green Beer Day stuff,” Mason said. “Frats, bars, everything.”

At 1:45 a.m., students began to gather for the second-annual “Ginger Run.” The crowd grew from one line on each side to people peering over other’s shoulders to get a glimpse at the run.

By 1:55 a.m., the restless crowd was taking photos and videos of the buildup that culminated in a sea of phones recording the event that started promptly at 2 a.m.

After runners fell and phones were pocketed, the crowd dispersed in every direction including to Bagel and Deli, the most popular restaurant of the night. The line went out the door as the glass steamed up from the green bagels and gaggles of green clad students.

Reporting by Asst. Campus and Community Editor Austin Smith and Editor-In-Chief Kasey Turman

2 a.m.

After the second-annual “Ginger Run,” which attendees said was bigger than last year, police started to camp around campus and eventually clear the area to unwind the festivities until the bars open early in the morning.

Although campus was clearing out, many people still undertook in fraternity parties, continuing the festivities throughout the night. 

Kendall Kretzinger, a senior media and communications major, and Erin Smith, a senior geology and environmental science major, said that Green Beer Day is a way to reconnect.

“I think it’s been a bonding experience because we’ve both been so busy the past couple years that we haven’t been able to really do anything,” Kretzinger said, “but like knowing we’ve been busy, gave us the energy to come up this year.”

Kretzinger and Smith said they lived in the same dorm their first year at Miami, and are mainly excited about meeting new people and celebrating together.

“We don’t have a set plan because we like to go with the flow a little bit more,” Kretzinger said. “We don’t like to be shoehorned into one thing or the other. This is very much a day to like, have an experience.”

Ambry Petrushka, a junior mechanical engineering major, said she hasn’t had much experience with Green Beer Day but decided to participate more in it this year.

“It’s just kind of like a uniting holiday,” Petrushka said, “you know, as long as nobody gets too crazy, it’s pretty good.”

As the night unfolds, the bars in uptown prepare to open at 5:30 a.m., when Ohio bars are legally allowed to start selling alcohol. 

Reporting by Asst. Campus and Community Editor Austin Smith and Editor-In-Chief Kasey Turman

5 a.m.

The crowd that wrapped around Brick Street Bar could be heard from a block away. It wasn't even 5:10 a.m.

The only other noise was the tinging of empty beer cans as they were thrown in the alleys that Brick calls its neighborhood.

Even as hands turned red and countless breaths filled the air, students were determined to get inside the bar, no matter the wait.

Isabel Ahmann, a senior kinesiology major, said that this was the first Green Beer Day that she could legally drink. Before this year, she had only gone to parties and not the bars. As she got in line at 5:10 a.m., she didn't care how long she would wait to take part in a Miami tradition.

"This feels like the very first [GBD]," Ahmann said. "I don't think people care [about the wait]. I'd say we get in by 5:50 [a.m.]"

Not even 200 feet away, Oxford Police officers come and go from the station. They all don black outfits made up of long sleeves, pants and utility belts that hold solutions to issues that GBD may create.

As students arrive in herds, some branch off to Skipper's or Bagel and Deli to grab a meal. Two of these students are Courtney Bidwell, a senior finance major, and Morgan Walters, a senior visiting from Denison University.

The pair had been going to frats and house parties since the festivities began, but were slowing down for a second to grab Bagel and Deli before getting back into the line at Brick.

Bidwell said that the long line at Brick was "all a part of the excitement" and just one stop on their list of things to do today.

"After Brick, we're going to go home and nap for a couple hours," Bidwell said. "Then, we're gonna go back to the frats and darties."

At 5:30 a.m., the crowd that engulfed the sidewalk from Apple Tree to the Oxford United Methodist Church let out a collective cheer just as the music kicked in.

As people shuffled into the many entrances of Brick, officers circled blocks, workers got ready for their shifts and Rumpke trucks picked up the already full trash cans from High Street. The bouncer at Skipper's, one that had just clocked in, put his day as a student and worker into one sentence.

"When I get off this shift at 10 [a.m.]," he said, "I'm going to get a beer in my hand somewhere."

Reporting by Editor-In-Chief Kasey Turman

6 a.m.

By 6 a.m., Brick was still bouncing. Both the 18 and 21+ lines were evenly packed, either for warmth or to get a drink in their hand.

While the outside of Brick had loud music and growing lines, Side Bar across the street was not fairing the same.

Junior history major Liliana Galloway had been at work since 5 a.m., working on little sleep due to the music wafting into her bedroom window Wednesday night into the morning. Even though Galloway didn’t participate in Green Beer Day activities, she still kept up with the “Ginger Run” on social media. 

“I feel like, trying to sleep last night felt like Christmas,” Galloway said. “There’s so much nerves and excitement, I feel like it’s such a fun Miami thing.”

Even though Brick’s lines were seen from down the street, the other businesses Uptown were closed or in a lull. There were few students roaming the streets that weren’t making their way to or from the bar.

Jimmy Stalker and Jack Fidanza were two of the students making their way down the sidewalk, leaving their Green Beer Day festivities. The two decided to start their partying at midnight and continued until 6:30 a.m. Stalker, a senior kinesiology major, wanted to continue the Green Beer Day tradition.

“I always heard about Green Beer Day, so I wanted to experience it for myself,” Stalker said, “and now [that] we’re actually 21, we can do that.”

By 6:45 a.m., Brick's lines were gone and the streets emptied. The inside of the bar was packed, along with Skipper's Pub and Top Deck down the street. While most other businesses were closed at this time, Skipper’s opened at 4:30 a.m., serving breakfast and beer to the hungry and tired Miami students. 

Gigi Elter, a senior architecture major, was one of the students enjoying what Skipper’s had to offer. Elter and her three friends left the pub after their night out at the frats around 4 a.m. to take a nap, and the group returned Uptown to continue Green Beer Day.

“I was just hanging out with my friends because it’s kind of sentimental that it’s my last year,” Elter said. “I didn’t get a Green Beer Day my freshman year just because of COVID, so we’re trying to make the most out of this year.”

Reporting by Senior Campus and Community Editor Taylor Stumbaugh and Oxford Editor Raquel Hirsch.

8 a.m.

As the sun began to rise, crowds dwindled and the streets Uptown grew empty.

Many began their festivities as early as 12 a.m. Isa Kenkel, a senior supply chain management major, made a stop at Bagel & Deli around 8:15 a.m. with plans to take a nap after. Kenkel said that the festivities had died down for a bit, but would likely pick up again in the afternoon.

“I’m gonna go to bed,” Kenkel said. “I feel like early morning is really heavy and then nine to noon is a lull and then it picks back up.”

However, Kenkel said Green Beer Days have been improving since her first year at Miami, which was impacted by the pandemic.

“Every year it’s gotten a bit more social because people feel like they’re finally returning to pre-COVID norms,” Kenkel said.

Police presence Uptown was minimal, but Kenkel, who is part of the student advisory board for the Miami Police Department, said that the ultimate goal of MUPD is to make sure everyone is safe on Green Beer Day.

Oxford business owners were spending this lull preparing for the day ahead.

Jackson Trester, a co-owner of OxVegas Chicken, is looking forward to giving students celebrating a place to hang out and eat.

This is the business’s first Green Beer Day, and it was welcomed with a line out the door at 4 a.m.

“This is the first Green Beer Day that we’re open, and it’s been super exciting to plan it,” Trester said. “We don’t really know what to expect.”

To celebrate, they are offering chicken and waffles, as well as some themed drink deals like the “shamrock shot.”

OxVegas opened its doors for the celebration early Wednesday, and won’t be closing until 3 a.m. on Friday.

“We worked really hard on social media to try to push our presence and spread awareness that we are going to be open,” Trester said.

To help fight hangovers and give underclassmen who aren’t drinking Uptown an alternative, Red Brick Lounge is selling alcohol-free Jell-O shot injections with electrolytes and vitamins.

Sam Casey, owner of Red Brick Lounge, attended Miami and wanted to provide students with a place to celebrate that doesn’t involve alcohol — something she didn’t have when she was a student.

“We’re just here to be a fun spot for them to come in and hang out,” Casey said. “It’s just a healthier option.”

Reporting by Asst. Campus and Community Editor Stella Powers and Staff Writer Sarah Kennel.

10 a.m.

As Green Beer Day carried on into late morning, the energy on High Street seen throughout the night had diminished, and even Brick Street was missing their typically-steady flow of customers.

Similarly, the police presence between Oxford and Miami police departments was minimal, but the Oxford Police Department (OPD) still put increased measures in place during Green Beer Day. John Jones, the police chief for the City of Oxford, said this includes holding second and third shift officers later into the night, as well as calling in day shift officers a few hours earlier.

However, Jones said he has noticed a change in the culture of Green Beer Day. 

“I don't think [GBD is] the biggest day of the year,” Jones said when referring to the number of arrests made. “I think Halloween, those weekends are bigger … numbers wise, I would say.” 

Jones and OPD Lieutenant Lara Fening attribute this drop in activity to collaboration between the department and Miami University in placing preventative measures on students, which includes scheduling more classes and requiring attendance on GBD.

Yet, OPD still conducts increased checks in bars, as well as patrolling Uptown and the neighborhoods for noise, littering and disorderly conduct. 

Even though the early morning festivities from students have so far been the busiest time period, Jones and Fening expect the afternoon to pick up as the day goes on 

While most of the students who were out overnight had fled High Street, senior biomedical engineering major Alex Morrisey remained. Morrisey began drinking at midnight with his friends while playing video games before heading out to Brick Street to watch the sunrise.

“I think [my favorite part about GBD] is the camaraderie,” Morrisey said. “I wish my roommates were here, they already went to bed, but … it’s everyone getting together [and] having a good time.”

Due to Miami’s attendance and exam policies on Green Beer Day, some students had to postpone their celebrations in place of academic responsibilities. Arielle Miller, a senior marketing student, had a business law exam earlier in the morning. After finishing the test at 9:30 a.m., she headed Uptown to pick up where other students left off, and to enjoy the connections Green Beer Day brings 

“I feel like [Green Beer Day] brings the whole Oxford community together,” Miller said. “And it’s so nice to see everyone, and everyone is in a good mood.”

Reporting done by GreenHawks and Opinion Editor Sam Norton and Oxford Editor Raquel Hirsch.

11 a.m.

If Uptown at 8 a.m. was considered empty, then Uptown at 11 a.m. is a veritable ghost town. The scattered people on the street are mostly townies, with a couple of students with backpacks heading to or from class.

Some students clad in festive green make an appearance, but they are few and far between. Their destination could range from frats to house parties, or back home for a mid-day crash.

Around 11:05 a.m., a group of three students exit Kofenya, who don’t seem to be participating in the festivities.

Kaila Powers, a junior middle childhood education major, was not planning on participating in Green Beer Day.

“I have requirements and rehearsals that I need to be fully present for,” Powers said.

Inside Kofenya, students and townies disperse across the tables, most with laptops open for work of some sort. 

Emily Rogers, an Oxford resident and barista at Kofenya, said it's been a pretty normal morning.

“Nothing too crazy,” Rogers said. “I’ve seen [students] a little bit tipsy so far. Like nine [of them].

Rogers said she was expecting an increase in drink sales after noon because that’s when Kofenya starts serving alcohol.

“I think we’ll get some,” Rogers said. “We’ve already had some people ask for some espresso martinis.”

Reporting done by Gina Roth.

Noon

At noon there were a few scattered students eating and drinking Uptown. The streets were mostly empty except for some students dressed in green, a man in a green dinosaur costume and townies.

Ainsley Stone, a Miami alum, started celebrating early this morning at Side Bar.

“I work at Side Bar,” Stone said. “So … I brought everyone coffee this morning because I know they worked a long shift overnight.”

Stone said some of her friends who also went to Miami came to town just for GBD and she hopes that her and friends keep the party going all day long.

Jackson Trester, co-owner of OxVegas Chicken and Miami Alum, said he started working at 3 a.m.

“It’s been very stressful but it’s been fun,” Trester said. “It’s cool to see how much the town loves green beer.”

Trester said he was happy to see everyone come out and support the business.

“[My] favorite part was seeing a line out the door at four in the morning right when we started [selling] chicken and waffles,” Trester said.

He said the chicken and waffles were such a hit that he wants to bring them back to the menu every Saturday morning.

Reporting by Asst. Campus and Community Editor Chloe McKinney.

4 p.m. 

As classes started to wind down and temperatures rose, Green Beer Day was back in full swing. 

Campus started to empty as those that did attend class left in search of green beer.

Participants transitioned to darties being thrown in various fraternity backyards and away from High Street. Yards along Tallawanda Street were full with empty beer cans, discarded beads and students in head to toe green.

Backyards of many greek-affiliated houses were tarped to avoid citations and unwanted photographs. As the afternoon progressed, parties started to die down. 

Nevertheless, police were starting to shut down particularly boisterous parties. 

“The police are doing their jobs … but at the same time the noise and trash is the same every weekend and they never shut it down,” said Jimmy Liosi, a senior finance major. “Just because it’s Green Beer Day, they are using their power against us.”

Kirk Myers, a senior political science major, emphasized that they only have issues with the police on Green Beer Day. 

“I don’t have a problem with what they are doing,” said Myers. “I have a problem with the fact that every GBD … it’s the same thing. We can throw a darty, we can have fun, it’s a good time- and we are doing it safely. It’s only this weekend when it’s an issue.”

At that same party, police had already given out two citations. The first for $150 and $300 the second. Yet, the party showed no signs of stopping.

Reporting by Oxford Editor Anna Reier and Editor-In-chief Kasey Turman

7 p.m.

Green Beer Day celebrations seemed to drop off during the first half of the hour, but the riotous crowds of green-clad students roving the sidewalks made a resurgence as the day continued.

A few fraternity houses were still celebrating openly; one near Uptown blasted music and the crowd was visible from the sidewalk.

Jack Tincher, a senior journalism and history double major and first-time Green Beer Day participant, shared some of his experiences from the day with the fraternity crowd.

“I was at the fraternity’s party, and the cops were there earlier, but, I’m legal to drink, so that’s why I stayed there for a while, but I saw other people leave,” Tincher said. “Apparently, the reason the cops came was because someone called [them].”

Other celebrants said that Green Beer Day meant a little more to them than just a way to get drunk. 

“Drinking is fun but I also like just skipping classes and hanging out with my friends,” Trevor Camp, a senior nursing major, said. “It’s the idea of communal rebellion that I think is the biggest thing about Green Beer Day.”

Trevor and his friends also had no direct problem with the police, aside from being asked their ages, though they did notice police cars patrolling.

Farther down the streets, away from the bars, Green Beer Day activity becomes surprisingly sedate. The restaurants down there serve as fewer places to socialize over drinks and more places to refuel with food.

“I don’t encourage alcohol as much as the other restaurants,” Evan Lin, the owner of the Thai and Chinese restaurant Phan Shin, said. “I’ve always been like a mom here to these students, and all the students see that.”

Lin proudly stated that her restaurant’s role and the role of others like it during Green Beer Day is to help students who are hungry after a day of drinking

As the sky began to darken, the streets began a dual procession, with the earliest students heading back while fresh groups of students headed Uptown for fun at Oxford’s bars.

Reporting by Staff Writer Bill Kwan

9 p.m. 

Come 9 p.m., Uptown was virtually dead. 

“We have seen a couple groups of guys, and that’s it,” Makayla Elliott, a junior Kinesiology major, said. “We have been here for a while and there really hasn’t been anything [happening].”

As the evening came to a close, a few scattered individuals grabbed a meal before heading home.  

Following recent trends, this GBD is a shift from years past, Nathan Oney said, a Miami alum. 

“I can definitely tell there is a difference from past years,” Oney said. “Normally, GBD is much louder. It has honestly been much more chill overall. It has been much more relaxed … it’s definitely interesting.”

Even though it may have been calmer, Green Beer Day 2024 was one to remember. It is safe to say that this Oxford tradition will be around for generations to come. 

Reporting by Oxford Editor Anna Reier.