Students party on Ezra Street for St. Patrick's Day 2017
Kate Bueckert | CBC News | Posted: March 17, 2017 7:44 PM | Last Updated: March 17, 2017
Decked out in green, students took over Ezra Street for St. Patrick's Day
Image | St Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo 2017
Caption: This young woman offered to share her drink as she celebrated the festivities on Ezra Street Friday afternoon. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
St. Patrick's Day celebrations took over the Ezra Street neighbourhood in Waterloo Friday, as an estimated 10-15 thousand people joined the giant street party.
What used to be smaller house parties less than a decade ago has grown into an all-out festival where thousands of students crowd onto the sidewalks and street or meander from student residence to student residence.
Students decked out in green were in good spirits.
There was police presence, but mostly officers were there to keep students safe and discourage them from moving off private property with their alcohol – although that presented a challenge given the size of the crowd.
There was a steady stream of students early in the afternoon and a police officer at the scene said by evening the crowd could grow to 15,000.
Image | St Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo 2017
Caption: By early afternoon, thousands of students had already filled much of Ezra Street in Waterloo to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Image | St Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo 2017
Caption: Security guards stand outside the houses along Ezra Street. Some have lists of who lives inside and no one else is allowed in. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Image | St. Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo 2017
Caption: Lots of students were taking pictures to mark the celebrations. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Image | St Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo 2017
Caption: Troy Durocher went all out for the celebrations, painting his beard, hair and even his eyebrows. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Image | St Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo 2017
Caption: Waterloo Regional Police officers speak to one woman on the edges of the party on Ezra Street. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Image | St. Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo
Caption: These young women happily posed for a photo as they arrived for the St. Patrick's Day celebrations on Ezra Street. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Image | St Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo 2017
Caption: This student openly drank a beer and asked to have his photo taken on Ezra Street. Police were reminding students to drink only on private property. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Image | St Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo 2017
Caption: Students walk past a house on Albert Street with the words "liquor zone" painted on the outside. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Image | St Patrick's Day Ezra Street Waterloo 2017
Caption: Students were in high spirits as the St. Patrick's Day celebrations got underway. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
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