Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day
Students dressed in green for Unofficial, on Green Street in Champaign, 2009
Also called	Unofficial
Observed by	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Type	Local
Celebrations	Binge drinking
Date	First Friday in March
2023 date	March 3  (2023-03-03)
2024 date	March 1  (2024-03-01)
2025 date	March 7  (2025-03-07)
2026 date	March 6  (2026-03-06)
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Saint Patrick's Day

Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day, commonly known as Unofficial, is an annual holiday at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is celebrated by students on the first Friday of March as an alternative to Saint Patrick's Day, which has historically fallen during the university's spring break.

The holiday has become a "destination event", with alumni and visitors from other universities joining students in celebration.^[1] Participants typically wear green clothing, attend parties, and engage in binge drinking, often beginning early in the morning.^[2] Not officially sanctioned by the university, Unofficial has received criticism by the university and local government after leading to several fatalities.^[3][4]

The first event resembling Unofficial took place in March 1995, when Saint Patrick's Day at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was scheduled during spring break.^[5] To avoid losing profits, ten bars in Champaign's Campustown, including several owned by Scott Cochrane, held a Saint Patrick's Day-themed event called "Shamrock Stagger" on March 8, 1995, two days before the university's spring break.^[2][6] Shamrock Stagger was promoted as the university's "official Saint Patrick's Day party", despite not being officially endorsed by the university.^[2]

The following year, in 1996, presumably after pushback from the university, events held at Cochrane-owned Campustown bars the week before spring break were advertised as "Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day" for the first time.^[2] In 1997, Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day was moved to the Friday eight days before spring break, and it has since fallen on the first Friday of March each year.^[2][4][7]

Cochrane, who is credited with creating the holiday, acquired a service mark and later a trademark on the name "Unofficial".^[4][8] In 2016, the "Unofficial" trademark was sold to apparel company UpMerch, with a licensing agreement allowing two other companies to use the name on merchandise.^[9]

According to University of Illinois Police Communications Director Patrick Wade, Unofficial reached its peak sometime between 2006 and 2011, with interest somewhat dwindling since then.^[6] During the event in 2011, Champaign police officers issued 364 court notices to students, compared to only 12 issued in 2020 in what Champaign Police Sergeant Greg Manzana called "essentially a non-event".^[10] In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Cochrane declared "Unofficial is dead", citing the local government and university's opposition to the holiday, but some student celebrations still took place.^[4][11]

Due to the chaotic nature of the event, Unofficial has led to several incidents, including at least three deaths. In 2006, 22-year-old Caroline Yoon died from injuries after falling off a motorcycle.^[12][13] In 2011, 21-year-old Brad Bunte died from injuries after being struck by two cars on University Avenue.^[12][13]

In 2017, 23-year-old university student Jonathan Morales, a junior majoring in communications from Franklin Park, Illinois, fell over the railing of a fourth-floor balcony during an Unofficial party.^[1] He was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that night.^[13][14] Toxicology tests later confirmed that Morales had been drinking.^[14] In response, the university chancellor Robert J. Jones issued a statement mourning Morales's death and calling for an end to Unofficial.^[13]

Other negative consequences of Unofficial have included vandalism of university bathrooms, disruption of classes, an uptick in parking violations on campus, and a significant increase in tickets and arrests, especially for underage drinking and drunk driving.^[2][12]

Campustown sees heightened police presence during Unofficial, including officers representing the university, the cities of Urbana and Champaign, and the state of Illinois.^[2][5] Champaign has also imposed limits on packaged alcohol sales at campus bars and convenience stores during the event.^[1][12] The university has repeatedly condemned the event, routinely sending a letter to parents and a mass email to students discouraging participation.^[4] The university has also banned overnight guests in residence halls and prohibited fraternity and sorority parties during the weekend.^[1][12]

• State Patty's Day