As the 130th Marathon Monday approaches, Boston-area college students aim to continue longstanding celebratory traditions while also adapting new ones amid tighter police restrictions. 

Schools, including Boston University, Boston College and Northeastern University, suspend classes for Patriots’ Day, prompting college students to flood the streets to cheer on the marathoners and party during the day.

Day parties, colloquially referred to as “darties,” are a MarMon staple, with some beginning as early as 8 a.m. 

But this year, students at BU said the darty scene may look different. 

J, a member of Kappa Sigma, a fraternity at BU, said the Boston Police Department issued notices to some BU fraternities enforcing “a zero-tolerance policy for large outdoor gatherings, disruptive parties, and underage drinking this year,” according to a copy of the notice obtained by The Daily Free Press. 

J spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive topics.

The ban follows months of tension and legal difficulties between BU fraternities and the BPD. In August 2025, BPD sent letters to five fraternities warning of legal consequences — such as probation — if they continued to host parties and garner noise complaints.

Although Kappa Sigma did not receive a notice, J said “working around the cops” while planning a party for MarMon has been difficult. 

“We try to keep it somewhat quiet, but it’s impossible… with that many people,” J said. “I think that is our main problem [and] the problem of many frats.”

This development marks another setback for BU’s Marathon Monday party scene, following the loss of Gardner Court Apartments as a party spot last year. After a 2024 incident in which a partygoer fell from a balcony, building management implemented new restrictions limiting access to residents only.

Despite these challenges, J said he believes that people will still find a way to get together and celebrate the holiday.

“It’s just going to be a fun day,” J said. “Even if we do get shut down … we’re going to have a good time and all be together and live the traditions of MarMon.”

Other schools have alternative methods of reining in partying and underage drinking. At Boston College, where students often wake at the crack of dawn to darty, the Office of Student Involvement hosts an annual MarMon concert. 

The Mile 21 concert — located at the marathon’s 21-mile mark, which passes through the BC campus — kicks off with a 7 a.m. breakfast, while the main performance begins at 8:30 a.m. This year’s Mile 21 headliner is the musical duo Two Friends. 

BC senior Jack Adams said he thinks the concert is a “ploy” to prevent students from attending off-campus darties.

“It’s like, ‘We’ll keep you in here … so we can know where you are, we can keep you safe,’ which I think is fair,” Adams said. 

Adams, who attended the Mile 21 concert during his freshman and sophomore years, said they were “a lot of fun,” notably the 2023 concert headlined by Flo Rida.  

While the event may draw some students away from darties, Adams said he does not believe it meaningfully curbs public or underage drinking, as many students drink beforehand or find ways to bring alcohol into the concert.

Another enduring BC MarMon tradition is the outfit culture, with students often donning funny, vibrant and outgoing outfits or costumes for the day. 

In an email to The Daily Free Press, BC senior Atticus Crothers wrote that although freshmen often ask what to wear for MarMon, it is all “open to interpretation.”

“Some people coordinate a big group costume with their roommates but I think it’s also a chance to just wear something silly you have in your closet that maybe doesn’t fit any other occasion very well,” Crothers wrote. 

Adams said MarMon outfits represent the excitement that comes with the day. This year, he and his friends plan to wear tie-dye shirts. 

“MarMon definitely feels a little different for each class year, but regardless it’s one of the most fun days of the year,” Crothers wrote. 

Outside of parties and concerts, college students across the city also spend time throughout the day supporting runners and watching the marathon. 

In the weeks leading up to MarMon, the BC Student Affairs Instagram page has been highlighting its student runners, many of whom join the marathon to raise money for specific causes.

“We’re very good about supporting the runners,” Adams said. “There’s a big crowd of people that high-five people [running] down and stuff like that.”

While the day is characterized by a variety of celebrations, other students opt to focus on schoolwork.

Third-year NEU student Antonio Barbone said he does not plan to attend parties during the holiday, since his university’s final exam period falls on the same week of MarMon. 

“I would love to, but I feel like I’m kind of forced to study and just do work,” Barbone said, adding that he has a presentation on Tuesday.

Barbone said other NEU students he’s spoken with don’t have MarMon plans either, citing needing to prepare for final exams. 

Despite differences in how students choose to spend the day, MarMon remains a shared cultural moment across Boston campuses.

“Most of all, I think that the anticipation of the day is so much fun and the energy of everyone getting up so early together,” Crothers wrote. “There’s no other day of the year like it.”