Long Beach is kicking off its open alcohol zones for adults Saturday, allowing anyone over the age of 21 to drink in the designated areas.
The block party is happening from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. between Broadway and Third Street near downtown Long Beach.
Attendees cannot bring in their own alcohol. They must buy it from participating bars and restaurants along the Promenade.
“This entire block, this one block is going to be a party”, said Austin Metoyer, the president of the Long Beach Alliance, a nonprofit organization which is putting together the event. “It’s going to bring some energy to the area. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
There will also be DJs, carnival performers and art, the organization said.
Other cities such as San Francisco and Santa Monica have already hosted alcohol zones in their downtown areas. However, unlike Santa Monica, which allows alcohol on its promenade Fridays through Sundays, Long Beach is sticking to hosting single events like the promenade block party.
“It’s really an opportunity to come out and enjoy the space and we want to be able to test it out”, Metoyer said.
According to the city, it’s testing the open alcohol spaces after it plans to add more similar events throughout the year such as Halloween and art walks across other parts of downtown Long Beach.
The city will also see how the entertainment zone works out while preparing to host future block parties during the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, for which the city is expected to host several of the events.
“The Olympics is going to be one piece in 2028, but our other test will be next year with the World Cup”, Meytor said.