Four Massachusetts cities have so far approved temporary measures to extend bar hours to 3 a.m. and allow alcohol-to-go in designated public drinking districts across the city during the World Cup games.
The four cities’ decision to participate comes just days after Gov. Maura Healey signed a new state law allowing cities and towns to opt in to extend last calls through July 31 ahead of the FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, as well as upcoming celebrations for America250 and Sail Boston. All the events are expected to bring an influx of visitors to the area this year.
On Wednesday, the City of Cambridge approved the measures, which are “designed to boost economic activity and enhance the visitor experience during the busy summer season.”
“With the Commonwealth’s new temporary law going into effect, we saw an opportunity to capitalize on that and to really increase and enhance an opportunity for both the local economy, our local businesses and our cultural opportunities,” said Jeremy Warnick, a Cambridge city spokesperson.
This summer, Cambridge is hosting seven World Cup watch parties, the annual City Dance Party, and Porchfest, along with several other events, Warnick said.
Cambridge has also established designated districts to allow public drinking that include Central Square, Kendall Square, Harvard Square, Inman Square, lower Massachusetts Avenue and Porter Square/North Massachusetts Avenue.
Warnick said that “approved establishments will be allowed to sell alcohol to-go, provided drinks remain within a designated district and are served in approved, labeled plastic cups.”
Boston also adopted similar measures earlier this week.
“You can’t host the world on a bedtime,” said City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune in a statement. “Expanded last call gives Boston an opportunity to meet the moment, support local businesses, and show visitors that our city can be as vibrant after dark as it is during the day.”
Mayor Michelle Wu said she’s eager for Boston’s small businesses to partake in this economic opportunity and that this builds on the city’s “recent progress expanding nightlife and late-hour activity.”
“We’ve seen real interest and benefit from initiatives like our Late Night Food Truck program, creating new jobs and supporting the late-night workforce,” she said.
City officials said they will share details about a designated public drinking district at a later date.
While the City of Somerville is allowing bars and restaurants to stay open until 3 a.m., alcohol will only be served until 2 a.m. In that city, the extended hours will only be in effect through July 19, the end of the World Cup.
Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson said Somerville was already working to extend alcohol service hours before Healey signed the temporary law.
“We wanted to make sure that we were ready to go when it did go down to the wire here, that we didn’t have to scramble and do a bunch of approvals here,” he said. “We got out in front of it, and I was very happy to see that a number of businesses opted to do the extended hours.”
Unlike Boston and Cambridge, Wilson said Somerville does not plan to designate any public drinking districts since residents or businesses haven’t expressed a demand for it.
The city of Worcester’s License Commission voted on the measures on Thursday, passing the measure to allow its bars and restaurants to serve alcohol until 3 a.m. Tom Matthews, spokesperson for the City of Worcester, said that public consumption districts and alcohol-to-go “were not part of this vote.”
City officials in New Bedford said they plan to look into designating public drinking districts “for select areas that are already hosting previously scheduled annual summer events.” However, the city won’t pursue the 3 a.m. alcohol sales extension.
“Gillette Stadium in Foxboro is more than 40 miles from New Bedford,” said Jonathan Darling, a spokesperson for the City of New Bedford. “We don’t see the nexus between the World Cup games there and increased late-night bar activity here.”
City and town officials from Brookline, Everett, Dedham and Needham said their respective governing boards will discuss the measures in the coming days or weeks.
