SUNY New Paltz Grad Turns Iconic COVID Shutdown Sign Into Viral T-Shirt

What Do You Remember From The COVID-19 Shutdown?

Every year when March rolls around we find ourselves reminiscing those first few weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020.

Our local favorites quickly shuttered their doors and events that many of us were looking forward to, were canceled.

In New Paltz, a popular late night spot found itself frozen in time.

The sign outside of Joe's East West read "Fri Country Sat Mar 14 Bull Canceled." It became something of a staple and sign of the times, if you will.

The sign, unfortunately, never changed and Joe's East West closed for good.

As we said, the sign became a monument of sorts for the community during the pandemic.

Now one former New Paltz student is commemorating the iconic sign in New Paltz with a t-shirt.

Joe's East West Sign Inspires New Paltz Grad

My "For You Page" on TikTok got a little too local recently.

A video popped up from a creator named Rica who was selling yellow t-shirts that look just like the Joe's East West sign.

@rickawadsupdate: shirts are back check my bio! everyday I try to be more niche. shout out new paltz and Joe (who gave me permission to do this!)♬ original sound - ricka

We reached out to Ericka McCarthy to learn more about the amazing Joe's t-shirts and the inspiration behind them.

McCarthy, who is originally from Queensbury, graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 2020. During her time at New Paltz, McCarthy never had the opportunity to go to Joe's and tells us "My friends and I had plans to ride the bull for my birthday in March 2020, but the event was infamously cancelled."

So what inspired McCarthy to make a t-shirt out of the sign? McCarthy said:

During the Covid shutdown, Tops was the only place we ventured out to. So of course, every day we saw the iconic yellow sign. My husband & I started to notice how long the sign stayed the same.

As a graphic designer, McCarthy has been known to make a silly shirt every now and then, and her husband Liam suggested she make the sign into a t-shirt. 

SUNY New Platz Grad Selling Infamous Joe's Themed Shirt

In 2023, Ericka made the Joe's shirt for her and her husband.

They wore the shirts to a friend's party, and someone took a photo and suggested that Ericka post it to a local Facebook group.

The photo quickly gained the attention of locals with over 500 likes and countess comments. People were asking where they could get one of their own.

McCarthy said "At the time, selling them didn't feel right." There was still some hope that Joe's would reopen, but as we all know, that sadly hasn't been the case. The sign came down earlier this year and the building has been said to be undergoing a change in ownership.

READ MORE: Is This Iconic New Paltz Hot Spot Being Demolished?

So Erick decided to start selling the shirts, and she spoke to Joe himself to tell him all about the shirts and why she made them.

"It's been a really sweet experience. Hearing stories from people whose parents met at Joe's, as well as stories from previous employees and regular attendees has been the best part" McCarthy tell us. 

She adds:

Plus, people my age and younger who never got to experience Joe's are still transported back to their college town when they see the sign. I love seeing generational gaps bridged! 

T-shirts are available now for pre-order now through April 15th. You can buy your shirts on McCarthy's website ricka.co.