Binghamton students look forward to Parade Day all year. Parade Day is that special time when we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a month in advance and in a wholesome manner. We wake up early, get decked out in green and spend the day Downtown. The memories, or almost-there memories, will stick with us forever. The only problem with Parade Day is that it’s a one-day deal. You must be thinking, “How can I get Parade Day year-round?” Well, you might not be able to experience Parade Day every weekend, but colleges around the country have their own unique extravaganzas comparable to our exceptional day. For you Parade Day enthusiasts out there, here is a list of the top 10 college party events that you should definitely consider attending.
1. Mardi Gras — Tulane
Parades, beads, floats, masks and flashers. The city of New Orleans pretty much does the work for this party. Students of Tulane just have to show up in purple, green and gold and go nuts.
2. Halloween — Ohio University
Ohio University does Halloween on another level of crazy. Over 20,000 people fill the streets from dusk till dawn, going so crazy that, in 2010, 82 people were arrested.
3. State Patty’s Day — Penn State
In 2007, students of Penn State checked their calenders only to realize that St. Patrick’s Day fell during their Spring Break. Having none of that, students decided to make their own holiday, and make it big. Similar to Parade Day, students start early and end late to celebrate their faux Irish heritage. This year, the local bars were given $5,000 each to stay closed, but somehow the students managed.
4. 4/20 — University of Colorado Boulder
Every year at UC Boulder, tens of thousands of students hold a “rally” on the campus’s Norlin Quadrangle for the legalization of marijuana by, well, let’s just say actions speak louder than words. It’s a safe bet that this year students at Boulder are going to go even crazier.
5. W.I.L.D. — Washington University
Walk In Lay Down, or W.I.L.D., is a concert event held twice a year at WashU. The name comes from the fact that students used to bring couches onto the quad and lie down on them during the concert. Since its inception in 1973, the emphasis has been less music, more party.
6. Mifflin Street Block Party — University of Wisconsin, Madison
To celebrate the end of spring semester, the Badgers do what any other sound-minded person would: gather over 20,000 students and bring them to Mifflin Street. This celebration actually began in 1969 as a peace protest against the Vietnam War, but nowadays, students are more focused on the fact that open containers are allowed and not so much the Vietnam War.
7. Floatopia — University of California, Santa Barbara
Floatopia is the ultimate college beach party. Named for the fact that students bring floatation devices to lounge on in the ocean during this party, Floatopia has attracted around 10,000 students in recent years. While many have criticized the environmental damage that this event causes, no one can deny that a day on the beach with thousands of people in a not-quite-perfect state of mind would be an event to remember.
8. Spring Fling — University of Pennsylvania
Lasting for an entire weekend, Spring Fling is the culmination of spring semester at Penn. Dubbed the largest party on the East Coast, Spring Fling is known for its high-quality performances and even higher quality parties. Penn has gotten artists from Kid Cudi and Tiesto to Passion Pit and Lupe Fiasco.
9. Veishea — Iowa State University
Started in 1922 as a celebration of the different colleges at Iowa State (Veishea is an acronym for the different colleges), Veishea is a week-long event consisting of parades, speeches and entertainers such as the Black Eyed Peas, Billy Joel and Diana Ross. This clearly translates into a week-long party for students of Iowa State, what else? Veishea has a history of getting out of hand — riots have broken out on three separate occasions over the years.
10. Slope Day — Cornell
In a similar fashion to many of these outrageous events, Slope Day is held at the end of spring semester, on the Libe Slope of campus. Thousands of Cornellians and non-Cornellians alike attend Slopefest, the carnival aspect of the day, the live entertainment and the free food and drinks. Past performers at Slope Day include Snoop Dogg, Kanye West and even The Grateful Dead.
There is no denying the fact that no college party will ever compare to Parade Day. But, if you want to check out the competition, and maybe have some fun, definitely attend one or all of these events. While they may all seem similar in fashion, each college offers a uniquely enriching experience that promises to better you as a person, from your heart all the way down to your liver.