In 2012 — one of the last years the festival was held in Shockoe Bottom — a sink in the men’s room at LuLu’s restaurant was ripped off the wall by a woman who was using it as a toilet, according to a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

More than one business complained that it had problems dealing with attendees urinating on the outside of buildings or near them, or trying to come into shops to use restrooms reserved for customers.

At Vogue Flowers, people were ducking between delivery vans to relieve themselves.

“I continually went out back telling people to stop peeing on the building, peeing behind vehicles,” said Michael Morris, a supervisor at Vogue. Morris said he was threatened by one group of men he tried to run off.

Not everyone with a business on the Boulevard is complaining though, he said.

Joe Pellicane, general manager of Black Optix Tint, said there were no issues during Shamrock the Block and that it actually was good for business.

The shop, which sells window tints, rims and tires and after-market automotive accessories, set up a tent on the Boulevard to interact with people at the festival. Pellicane said the crowd was well-behaved and that the outreach, he hopes, will lead to new business.