The Santa Monica City Council approved a new Entertainment Zone along the Third Street Promenade, allowing adults to consume alcoholic beverages outdoors with a phased implementation beginning next month.
The Entertainment Zone will initially operate Friday through Sunday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. starting in early June, with the official launch set for the city's annual Pride on the Promenade celebration on June 21.
"The new Entertainment Zone will provide a unique way for visitors to experience the iconic Third Street Promenade that caters to the new trends in shopping and dining," Mayor Lana Negrete said. "It is an example of the many ways Santa Monica is thinking creatively about our economic growth."
The approved zone will cover the 1200-1400 blocks of the Promenade, between Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway. Businesses with current alcohol licenses can participate by signing an agreement with the city.
Under the approved plan, participating businesses must verify customers are at least 21 years old and provide city-approved wristbands that must be worn while consuming alcohol outdoors. Beverages must be served in non-glass, non-metal containers, and patrons cannot bring their drinks into other businesses.
Drinks cannot be taken into other Downtown businesses and officials said the Promenade will remain open to visitors of all ages.
City Community Development and public safety staff will provide regular updates on the rollout and make adjustments as needed.
The Entertainment Zone is the first of its kind in Southern California, enabled by California Senate Bill 969, which went into effect this year, allowing local governments to create designated outdoor areas where open container prohibitions are lifted.
The approved program a step back from the Council’s first draft of the rules but is still an expansion from the proposal presented by staff.
The council initially considered a more extensive proposal at its May 13 meeting, which would have established a permanent entertainment zone operating daily from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. That proposal, presented as an emergency ordinance for immediate effect, would have covered all public streets, sidewalks, and rights-of-way on Third Street between Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway.
During previous discussions, council members unanimously rejected a limited pilot program in favor of a permanent, seven-days-a-week approach, with Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis encouraging colleagues to "be bold when it's appropriate."
City officials cited ongoing economic challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and recent Southern California wildfires as motivations for the initiative, which aims to stimulate economic recovery and make "Santa Monica a vibrant cultural hub."
The new ordinance builds on efforts to enhance downtown Santa Monica, including expanded outdoor dining and new entertainment options such as pickleball and mini golf.
The Community Development Department is finalizing the management plan and working with Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. to install signage communicating the rules and boundaries of the Entertainment Zone.
"Few places in the country have the potential to rival Santa Monica's year-round coastal climate, and this new experience will further elevate our downtown as a place to socialize and connect," said Andrew Thomas, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
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