Binghamton Visitors Shocked at SantaCon Antics

Some shoppers and others passing through downtown Binghamton during the annual SantaCon event expressed dismay about participants who appeared to be highly intoxicated.

The cold weather bar crawl has drawn local and out-of-town college students to the city on the first Saturday in December. The first Binghamton SantaCon event was held in 2013.

The SantaCon attractions include drink specials at bars and large parties at frat houses in Binghamton. The event is not sanctioned or promoted by the city or Binghamton University.

People who observed those celebrating the season during the day and into Saturday evening said they were concerned about apparently inebriated students stumbling into traffic.

One downtown visitor described many participants as "falling-down drunk." Medics were seen assisting one person who apparently fell and was bleeding from the head.

In another incident, police and medics from the Harpur's Ferry student volunteer ambulance service appeared to be assisting someone who was injured at a downtown frat house.

Unlike the visible police presence near State Street bars during the annual spring bar crawl, there were no officers spotted near the establishments early Saturday evening.

Binghamton police and officials at City Hall did not have information about injuries related to SantaCon. One disorderly conduct arrest was linked to the event.

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