‘Twas the last day of classes and the fun had begun, so students wore white T-shirts for Bridge Street Run.
Students swamped Bridge Street on May 10, carrying out the Bridge Street Run tradition. Azteca, Old City and The Raven (to name a few) were some of the bars that were swarmed with students. Tradition states that students must hit all 15 bars on Bridge Street, beginning with The Front Door Tavern on the East side and ending with Greene’s Ale House on the West side.
After an incident last year where a few students jumped the bridge, security was at its high this year. No corner was left unguarded by police or border patrol. No underage student was safe.
Despite the rain showers in the late afternoon, students still managed to hit all bars.
Businesses on or near Bridge Street such as Subway, Food Chow City and Zonies put signs up on their windows prohibiting students from using their bathrooms unless they bought something from the store. Subway even required students to provide a receipt to a body guard near the bathrooms to prove they bought something from the store in order to use the bathroom.
Other businesses such as River’s End Bookstore and A Touch of Grace completely closed their businesses to avoid Bridge Street runners.
“I think it’s a really good way for college students to let off steam at the end of the semester,” said Kylie Wyman, 21, who grew up in Oswego.
“I think it’s cool for students to go out into every bar because you have to ask yourself ‘Would I go into that bar on any other day?’” she adds.
Some bars, such as The Sting, closed at 8 p.m., closing their gates and turning away several students for the night.
Bridge Street Run has been a tradition in Oswego since the early 1960s when a few students decided to start the tradition. Students must wear white T-shirts and carry a permanent marker in order to sign their friends’ shirts. The shirts ultimately become souvenirs for students as a reminder of the days’ festivities. The tradition is so well known in Oswego that there is a permanent website, www.bridgestreetrun.com, that showcases pictures submitted by students of the most recent Bridge Street Run event.
Now, students look to recover from a day’s worth of drinking and festivities to enjoy the rest of the weekend with their friends.