Carla Meyer’s article in today’s Bee celebrating the start of this year’s Concerts in the Park program includes the detail that this year there will be no designated beer garden (“at least for the first performance,” she writes.)
I don’t have a knee-jerk overreaction to easing restrictions on “demon rum” or something, but I’m not sure this is a good idea. I haven’t been to CIP as much in recent years but it seems like the beer garden in Cesar Chavez gets pretty rowdy, am I wrong? I’m not talking about beer fans but about Sacto d-bags. Isn’t that going to hurt the family atmosphere? I personally wouldn’t take my kids somewhere that the general public was imbibing in beer garden quantities.
More importantly though, it seems like this will make it much more difficult to keep minors from getting in on the beer action. Sure, if you’re caught with liquor and no wristband you’re toast, but is there going to be enough security to scan the whole crowd. Seems like Cesar Chavez is the place to be for some underage drinking this summer!
The Sac Rag 
Folks have taken younger kids in the beer garden for decades. The NE corner grass area is usually like a romper room. We have never had an issue. But there was this weird policy where little kids can go into the beer garden but teenager can’t.
The new plan might be an improvement over the current arrangement.
LikeLike
I’m confused. They don’t say there IS going to be beer; why do you think eliminating the beer gardens means somehow keeping beer elsewhere? Doesn’t city and county regulation require that beer in public parks at events like this ONLY be in a garden/enclosed environment?
LikeLike
There goes Old Man DMZ, shaking his cane again at the kiddies who just want to have fun.
Moe, it is up to the Police and the City on a case by case basis with the fencing of a beer garden. On some rare occasions, they will grant an alcohol permit that does not require the fences. Generally, only for City sponsored events.
I think it will be fine.
LikeLike
If the young peoples want to have fun they can do it the old fashioned way: a hoop and a stick.
LikeLike