Those boozy "entertainment zones” sweeping the city just got a new twist, as Valencia Street will start allowing the sale of to-go beer, wine, and cocktails five days a week, even on days when the street is not shut down for a street festival.
We use the term "entertainment zone” to describe a new SF event designation that perhaps should instead be called an “alcohol zone.” That’s because entertainment zones are areas where bars are allowed to sell to-go cocktails during street fair and festival-type events where the streets are closed to cars. When Valencia Street won its entertainment zone designation last month, the neighborhood celebrated with the new monthly night market known as "Valencia Live!” at which those to-go cocktails did indeed flow.
But looking at the legal wording of Valencia's entertainment zone designation, it has an exception the others don’t have. “If an Entertainment Zone Event within the Valencia Street Entertainment Zone does not involve the closure of a public street, it need not receive a permit for the use of a public street under Transportation Code Division L Section 6. 6 or 6.16 or Transportation Code Division II, Section 206, or other applicable authority of the SFMTA,” the legislation says. Okay, what does that even mean?
As the bar Blondie’s explains on Instagram, and as Mission Local reports today, it means that certain Valencia Street bars will be able to sell to-go cocktails even when there’s not a street closure event.
“SUPER excited to share the news that Valencia Street btwn 16th and 21st is the first entertainment zone noon to midnight Sunday through Thursday where you can purchase to go beverages from participating venues which allows you to sip and stroll the designated areas,” Blondie’s says in their announcement. “You must have a branded wristband (ID check) purchased from a participating venue with a branded comparable cup from those venues and BOOM! It’s like Bourbon street in NOLA or 6th street in Austin right here in SF!”
To-go cocktail privileges will only be available Sundays-Thursdays on Valencia Street, and only between the hours of 12 noon and 12 midnight. And as mentioned in the Blondie’s post above, the privileges only apply between 16th and 21st streets, and will require a wristband and the use of a “branded comparable cup.”
These new to-go cocktail privileges will launch at this Thursday’s Valencia Live! Party, and the following bars will be participating:
- Beehive
- Blondie’s
- Casanova
- The Chapel
- Curio
- Et Cetera
- Fort Point
- Gola
- La Cumbre
- Lolo
- Manny’s
- Puerto Alegre
- Tacolicious
This is a pilot program that will only run the five days a week, from Sundays through Thursdays, and not on Fridays or Saturdays. Mission Local reports they could extend this to Fridays and Saturdays “If the pilot goes smoothly.”
Related: Castro Becomes SF’s Biggest Boozy 'Entertainment Zone’ Where Bars Can Sell To-Go Cocktails During Events [SFist]
Image: Shawn W. via Yelp
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