A spontaneous, alcohol‑fueled riot erupted around 1:30 a.m. on June 12, 1998, as thousands of Penn State students and alumni descended on Beaver Canyon, now known as Beaver Avenue, following last call at nearby bars in the midst of the 32nd annual Arts Fest.
What began with a miniature keg — beer ball — being thrown from an apartment into a crowd of about 150 people rapidly escalated into at least 1,500 people and a violent outpour involving firebombs, smashed streetlights, vandalized cars and street fires, according to Collegian archives.
One witness recalled, “I have more Yuengling on my head than I drank all weekend.”
As the chaos deepened, rioters hurled furniture, beer kegs and firecrackers; others tore out light poles to smash windows.Riot participants lit anything they could find on fire — couches, their own clothing and a derby car from Phi Kappa Sigma.
Authorities deployed tear gas, pepper spray and baton charges around 4 a.m., eventually dispersing the mob after about two and a half hours. Streets reopened by approximately 8 a.m. for the final day of Arts Fest.
State College police and university officers initially arrested 20 individuals, 11 of whom were Penn State students, on charges ranging from failure to disperse and disorderly conduct to rioting, arson and aggravated assault.
State College Police patrol cars are seen behind the State College Municipal Building on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 in State College, Pa.
Over 50 people were arrested overall in connection to the riots after a news station provided video footage of the event.
Less than 40 State College police officers were on duty that evening resulting in The Pennsylvania State Police being called in. Of the 125 total officers who were at the scene, 16 were injured.
Reports vary on total damage, but some estimates cite around $150,000 worth of damage, referencing destruction of streetlights, storefronts, cars and public utilities.
Beaver Avenue is no stranger to large-scale riots. Years later when Joe Paterno, longtime Penn State football coach, was fired after criticism for allegations of sexual abuse, thousands of people flooded downtown State College, causing around $190,000 of damage.
Riots also occurred during the Ohio State win against Penn State in 2017 and when the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl LII in 2018.
Fans fill the stands for the first round game of the College Football Playoff between Penn State and Southern Methodist on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024 in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Mustangs 38-10.
Graham Spanier, then Penn State president, soon pledged to tackle underage and excessive drinking, stating in 1992 that “excessive consumption of alcohol is the major problem facing American higher education” and called on the university to bolster its programs to deal with this further.
Spanier wrote in a press release the ongoing riots showed that Penn State had more work to do despite the progress that had been made with its alcohol education.
Penn State’s University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) later announced plans to fundraise for borough damages. In response, local police implemented annual mobile field‑force training and formalized mutual‑aid protocols with township forces.
Though smaller flare-ups occurred during the Arts Fest in 2000 and 2001, they didn’t match the intensity of 1998’s riot.
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