15 Years Later: The Day Albany’s Kegs and Eggs Party Spiraled Out of Control

Fifteen years ago today, Albany experienced one of the most chaotic and embarrassing scenes in the city’s recent history — the infamous “Kegs and Eggs” riot.

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What began as a St. Patrick’s Day celebration quickly spiraled out of control on March 12, 2011, in the Pine Hills neighborhood, an area often referred to as the University at Albany “student ghetto.”

Cell phone videos captured hundreds of people crowding the streets as the situation escalated into violence and destruction. Witnesses reported people fighting, jumping on cars, smashing vehicle windows, and throwing debris into the street.

TV's Tossed, Bagpipers Piping

In one of the more bizarre moments from that day, someone even tossed a television from a second-floor balcony while a bagpiper famously stood on top of a vehicle playing to the crowd.

Read More: Kegs & Eggs is Back in Albany (This Time Without the Riots) 

By the time police restored order, two officers had been slightly injured, and several people were arrested. Five individuals ultimately faced felony charges connected to the incident.

Ch-ch-ch Changes

The fallout from the riot had lasting effects across the city and at the University at Albany.

Not long after the incident, the university ended the long-standing “Fountain Day” tradition, an annual celebration marking the return of spring on campus. City leaders also made changes to Albany’s St. Patrick’s Day parade route, moving it away from the bars along Pearl Street in an effort to prevent similar chaos.

For many Capital Region residents, the events of that day remain a vivid reminder of a celebration that went far too far.