Petaluma police blanketed the downtown area Saturday night, trying to keep a lid on the heavy drinking that has become an annual "after-party" to the family friendly Butter and Egg Days parade.
Officers on motorcycles, in patrol cars and on foot made their presence known with sociable greetings and stern warnings to the masses - mostly in their 20s and 30s - who crowded three bars on Kentucky Street, on Petaluma Boulevard and in the Theatre District.
They were busy dealing with suspected drunken drivers, people drunk in public and others fighting. But no major incidents or large-scale arrests were reported by late Saturday night.
Undercover agents from the State Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control also made visits to several bars, looking for underage drinkers or those who have had too much to drink.
By late Saturday night, there were four arrests for public intoxication, two for DUI, one for a minor with a fake ID, and one for violating probation by being in a bar. Also, a citation was issued for a party with underage drinking at a Petaluma home.
During the noontime parade that celebrates the city's agricultural history, officers made four alcohol-related arrests, Sgt. Ralph Evans said, and several over-indulgers were sent home with relatives.
"It's kind of standard fare for Butter and Egg Days due to the influx of 5,000 or 10,000 extra people," he said. Total attendance was estimated at around 25,000.
Hours after the parade, a man was arrested after he was seen urinating on an outside wall of Kodiak Jack's bar on Petaluma Boulevard North. Someone objecting to his behavior punched him in the nose, knocking him down.
The man, whose name wasn't available, had a .25 blood-alcohol level, Evans said. He was taken to Sonoma County Jail.
Lt. Dave Sears said the goal isn't to crack down on those imbibing or businesses cashing in on the thirsty crowds.
"We try to encourage more business," he said. "We only crack down as an absolute last resort - people throwing chairs or punches."
At the marina, a quieter crowd of about 120 people in 40 boats were expected for a BBQ given by the Petaluma Yacht Club. Downtown restaurants were also busy.
On the busy Petaluma Boulevard, some bars - including McNear's and Gale's Central Club - chose to shut down early or for a few hours to let the heavy-drinking crowd settle down.
"It's their way of working with us," Evans said. "It's great that they do that."
Sears said officers try to walk the line of taking care of problems without taking themselves out of the mix by transporting drunks to jail in Santa Rosa.
"This is a night we try not to make too many arrests because we want to be here later in case it goes to pieces," he said.
The partying continued well into the evening at three bars on Kentucky Street, known to locals as "the triangle." Patrons either spilled out of The Rocks, The Hide Away and Maguire's Pub or were too young to go inside, mobbing the sidewalks in front and overflowing onto the street.
Petaluma Downtown Association Executive Director Marie McCusker tooled around in a golf cart trying to spot potential problems before they erupted.
She and police said city leaders and merchants may want to discuss ways to rein in the sidewalk crowds for next year's event.
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