WILLIAMSBURG — Visitors will be able to buy alcohol from participating restaurants and carry it within a designated zone in downtown Williamsburg starting Monday, under a new outdoor refreshment area.
The yearlong pilot program will establish a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area along one block of Duke of Gloucester Street between College Corner and Henry Street. The city has posted signs, including ground markers and vertical signage, to identify the boundaries.
The area will operate daily from noon to 9 p.m., although hours may be adjusted for special events.
Under the program, patrons may purchase an alcoholic beverage from a participating establishment, place it in an official cup featuring the business logo and DORA logo, and carry it within the marked boundaries.
Businesses within the refreshment area will display color-coded signs indicating their participation. Some businesses will allow customers to bring official cups inside, while others will only sell beverages through the program. Alcoholic beverages are limited to 16 ounces per cup.
Visitors may not bring outside alcohol into the area, take alcoholic beverages outside the boundaries or bring a drink into a business that does not participate. Customers also cannot enter an establishment that serves alcohol with a beverage purchased from another location within the refreshment area.
A news release from the city states the guidelines are intended to create a “safe and coordinated experience” for visitors, businesses and residents.
The city’s ABC license for the program is valid through June 30, 2027. Before the license expires, city officials will evaluate the program’s success and determine whether to continue, expand or discontinue it.
“We’ve seen how adding outdoor tables and chairs to Merchants Square has encouraged people to dine, gather, and spend time downtown, bringing new life and energy to downtown Williamsburg in the past few years,” Mayor Douglas G. Pons stated in a news release.
The Williamsburg City Council approved an ordinance allowing a year-round Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area in Merchants Square in June 2024 after state law authorized localities to establish the zones.
