Redding entertainment zone opening downtown in October 2025

Where Redding’s downtown entertainment zone will be
What alcoholic beverages will be allowed in Redding’s entertainment zone
What city planners and business owners think the entertainment zone will do for downtown

Adults could be free to stroll through parts of downtown Redding with a glass of wine from a permitted restaurant as soon as mid-October.

The Redding City Council approved the creation of a downtown entertainment zone — one where people ages 21 and older can drink and carry open containers of beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages purchased from authorized restaurant and bars — on public sidewalks and streets.

The city council approved the plan in late August, following the California legislature’s authorization of State Senate Bill 969 last year. Starting in 2025, the bill allowed California cities to open entertainment zones within designated boundaries.

The move to create the zone met with positive response from most downtown business and property owners, Assistant City Manager Steve Bade said. Supporters hope it will stimulate Redding’s economy and bring more people downtown to eat, drink and shop.

The Redding Police Department’s downtown bike team will monitor drinking in the zone and other concerns like noise levels and over imbibing, Bade said.

“I think that it will be a novelty for a little while,” but “I don’t see us turning into Las Vegas,” said Post Office Saloon & Grill owner Leah Sullivan of people drinking on the downtown promenade.

While Sullivan doesn’t think being in the zone will fill her cash register daily, it might during events like the Lighted Christmas Parade. She pointed out her license to sell alcohol already allows customers to buy to-go cocktails they can drink on private property, so the ordinance would only make a difference for those who want to sip and stroll.

Redding police and restaurant owners will meet with the city next week to nail down details, including containers to mark permissible alcoholic drinks. “We have to have a certain cup that’s easily identifiable by RPD,” Bade said.

Here’s where the zone is planned, hours of operation and other information.

Where in downtown Redding will the entertainment zone be?

Bar, restaurant and other business owners met with the city last spring to establish parameters for Redding’s entertainment zone.

The space would cover the downtown core, roughly from Eureka Way in the north — including Woody’s Brewing Company and The Shack, and to the west along Oregon Street to South Street where the area dips inward at Waldon and Lincoln streets. The south boundary encompasses Pourboys Tapyard. The zone’s east border is along the Pine and East streets alley.

The city will post signs around the entertainment zone so people know not to wander out of its boundaries with open drinks, according to planners.

At what times will Redding’s downtown entertainment zone be open?

Adults ages 21 and older will be allowed to carry and drink alcohol from licensed vendors within the zone daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Shutting down the zone at 10 p.m. will minimize “late night disturbances,” Bade told the Redding City Council in August.

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Does this mean people are allowed to drink any alcoholic beverage in public in the zone?

No, only approved drinks purchased from zone restaurants and bars, and sold in specified containers, are allowed on zone sidewalks and streets.

“We don’t want people to think they can meander into a parking lot and tailgate,” Bade said.

The ordinance also doesn’t mean people can bring drinks into other downtown businesses. The Cascade Theatre and other restaurants don’t allow customers to bring any kind of food and drink not purchased on their premises, and some clothing and other stores don’t allow them at all.

What if crime or noise levels go up? Can Redding City Council change its mind?

The city manager’s office and Redding Police Department will submit a report to the city council 6 months after the zone opens.

At that time, council members will look at any concerns involving noise levels, safety and security, downtown traffic congestion and any other problems, Bade said.

What other California cities have entertainment zones?

Other California cities opened entertainment zones or are in the process of doing so, including Santa Clara and Los Angeles.

San Francisco opened several entertainment zones, including one on Front Street between California and Sacramento streets. “People can enjoy their drinks outdoors in plazas, sidewalks, or streets while experiencing creative programming like live music. These zones can support local businesses, spur economic development, and create a festive neighborhood atmosphere,” according to San Francisco city’s website.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal , Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding’s Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.