Between the overflowing pitchers of green beer and the line snaking out of The Phryst, it could almost be St. Patrick’s Day.

The Phyrst, 111 1/2 E. Beaver Ave., opened its doors at 10:30 a.m. to students clad in green, ready for the first “State Patty’s Day,” an Irish celebration two weeks before the official holiday on March 17.

As the band played Irish music and the bartenders served Guiness, the Irish pub filled quickly with revelers.

“It’s amazing,” Erica Strauser (senior-Spanish) said. “I can’t believe our school got so many people to celebrate a non-holiday.”

Strausner, clad in a green T-shirt with a matching green bow in her ponytail, said she had been at The Phyrst for about three hours, but she began drinking at 10 a.m. prior to her class. She’s drinking the green beer, which she said tastes really bad — but she doesn’t mind.

This year, St. Patrick’s Day falls on the Saturday before students come back to State College from spring break — something Alan Fetrow (senior-management), who was participating in today’s festivities, said was “poorly planned.” Anticipating this, several students petitioned local bars to plan an honorary celebration.

“Everyone hypes it up so much, I might as well go have fun,” Nick Goss (senior-information sciences and technology), said as he drank a Blarney Stone shot — a mix of Baileys Irish Cream and Apple Pucker.

Although Goss said isn’t drinking very much because he has to work later, many people plan on continuing their drinking throughout the rest of the day.

“I might have to take a nap,” Strausner said, but she said she’s going to go back to the bars afterward.