It’s official, you can drink outdoors in Long Beach — on one specific afternoon in one specific place, at least for now.
Long Beach’s first open-container event will take place Saturday, Aug. 2, on a one-block stretch in Downtown Long Beach, according to the business improvement association hosting the event.
From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. that Saturday, anyone over 21 can imbibe alcohol outdoors in the designated zone after buying drinks from participating bars on The Promenade between Broadway and Third Street.
Those bars include Dog Haus, ISM Brewing, The Ordinarie and El Viejon, according to The Downtown Long Beach Alliance, the local business improvement district.
The event will feature live music, a beer garden and family-friendly programming.
“This pilot is about bringing people together and reenergizing our downtown through safe, community-focused events,” said DTLB Alliance CEO Austin Metoyer.
This individual event is part of a broader plan.
The Long Beach City Council approved a one-year pilot for Entertainment Zones last month. The intent is to test events at a small scale before gradually rolling out more and more, according to Metoyer.
Two other California cities, Santa Monica and San Francisco, have approved Entertainment Zones after a 2023 state law made them possible.
For the Long Beach event, participants cannot leave the event with a drink or bring the drink into another bar or restaurant, according to DTLB Alliance.
Ian McCall, owner of ISM Brewing, said the participating restaurants will be bringing in some “light security, just to make sure we’re abiding by the rules.”
Guests must show a valid form of identification and will be given a drink in an official “EZ Sip” cup.
Pets are allowed at the event, but outside alcohol is not.
McCall said he’s glad to see Long Beach testing this idea.
“The majority of people want to have a good time, they want to spend time with their family and friends and they want to do it in a legal, peaceful, fun way,” McCall said.