MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA – Downtown Martinez could soon become the latest Bay Area destination where adults can buy a drink from a local business and legally carry it onto nearby streets and sidewalks.
The Martinez City Council voted unanimously on August 5 to introduce an ordinance establishing a downtown “entertainment zone.” Final adoption of the ordinance and its accompanying management plan is scheduled for the council’s August 19 meeting.
The proposal sounds a little like the open-container districts found in places such as Las Vegas or New Orleans, but the Martinez version would be much more limited. The zone would only operate during approved events, on specified days and hours, and under a safety plan reviewed by the Martinez Police Department.
It would not create a permanent, anything-goes drinking district.
The Zone Would Cover Much of Downtown Martinez
The proposed entertainment zone would encompass a substantial portion of the city’s historic downtown.
Its boundaries would extend approximately from just beyond Buckley Street and Marina Vista Avenue on the north to Green Street on the south. Court Street would form the eastern boundary, while Berrellesa Street would mark the western edge.
Residentially zoned properties would be excluded.
When the zone is activated, adults 21 and older could purchase alcoholic drinks from participating bars, restaurants, breweries, wineries and other appropriately licensed businesses. Customers could then take those drinks outside and walk within the designated event area.
The idea is to encourage visitors to explore more of downtown instead of remaining inside a single bar, restaurant or event enclosure.
City officials also hope the arrangement will allow more local brick-and-mortar businesses to benefit from festivals that might otherwise rely heavily on temporary alcohol vendors.
Drinking Would Only Be Allowed During Approved Events
Martinez’s entertainment zone would not operate every weekend or even automatically during every downtown festival.
Each activation would require a special-event permit and an approved safety and security plan. Initially, only three organizations would be authorized to organize an entertainment-zone event:
- The City of Martinez
- Downtown Martinez & Co.
- The Martinez Chamber of Commerce
The management plan identifies a number of events that could potentially use the zone, including the Lunar New Year Celebration, Earth Day, Bay Area Craft Beer Festival, King of the County BBQ, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Beaver Festival, Art in the Park, Pride, Martini Shake-Off and Holiday Frolic.
Other events organized by Downtown Martinez & Co. or the Chamber of Commerce could also qualify if the city approves the necessary permit.
Individual businesses would not be able to simply declare the zone active or begin selling drinks to go whenever they choose.
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There Would Be Plenty of Rules
Participating establishments would have to comply with both state alcohol laws and Martinez’s local management plan.
Customers would need to show identification and receive a wristband indicating that they are at least 21. Drinks could not be served in glass or metal containers, and businesses would only be permitted to sell to-go alcohol during the approved event hours.
Alcohol brought from home or purchased outside the entertainment zone would remain prohibited. Visitors also could not carry their drinks beyond the marked boundaries.
Businesses would not be allowed to deliver drinks to people elsewhere in the zone. Customers would have to make their purchases at a licensed establishment and exit directly into the approved event area.
Each participating alcohol licensee would also have to notify the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control annually of its intention to participate.
Businesses that do not sell alcohol could decide whether to admit customers carrying drinks. A shop inside the zone would not be required to allow open containers through its doors.
Organizers Would Handle Security and Cleanup
The organization holding an entertainment-zone event would be responsible for insurance, security planning, signage, waste collection and recycling.
The Martinez Police Department would review a safety plan for each event, allowing staffing and security requirements to change depending on the expected crowd, participating businesses and activities.
Larger events could require personnel at entrances and exits to prevent people from carrying alcohol outside the zone. Smaller events could operate with a lighter security presence.
The organizer would also have to clearly mark the boundaries and make sure the area is cleaned after the event.
Vice Mayor Satinder Malhi said the support of downtown businesses and the police department gave him confidence in moving the proposal forward. Other council members said the zone could simplify event planning and spread the economic benefits of downtown festivals among more businesses.
Mayor Brianne Zorn also noted that the system could help address a problem the city has already encountered: visitors bringing their own alcohol to downtown events instead of purchasing it from licensed local businesses.
California Recently Legalized Entertainment Zones
Martinez is able to consider the district because of Senate Bill 969, a state law that took effect in 2025.
The law allows California cities and counties to establish entertainment zones where participating bars, restaurants, beer manufacturers and winegrowers can let customers leave with open alcoholic beverages for consumption on specified public streets and sidewalks.
Walnut Creek has already approved its own entertainment zone, joining cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Redding, Santa Monica and Suisun City.
Supporters see the zones as a way to increase foot traffic, help restaurants and retailers and make downtown festivals easier to organize. Critics have raised concerns about noise, excessive drinking and the normalization of alcohol consumption in public spaces.
Martinez officials say feedback from other cities has generally been positive, with few additional public-safety problems beyond those already associated with restaurants, bars and major public events.
Final Approval Is Expected August 19
The council’s August 5 vote was the ordinance’s first formal approval. The measure returns on August 19 for adoption, along with the detailed Downtown Entertainment Zone Management Plan.
The item is on the consent calendar, signaling that council members currently view final approval as largely procedural.
Even after adoption, residents will not immediately be able to stroll downtown with an open beer or cocktail. The zone would still need to be activated through an approved event permit, and participating businesses would have to complete the required state notifications.
If those steps move forward as expected, Martinez’s first entertainment-zone events could take place later this fall or winter.
