PRIDE
Go LONG Atlanta extends bar hours for Pride Sunday By Mike Fleming THE CITY OF ATLANTA WILL EXTEND BAR hours on Sunday, Oct. 10, allowing celebrations to go late on the last night of Pride Weekend. Despite Atlanta Pride Committee canceling its “official events,” a growing number of venues and organizers are still hosting Pride in Atlanta, Oct. 6-10 despite cancelation of the festival and parade. That goes for the city itself. Rather than the usual 11:59 p.m. end to alcohol sales on Sunday, Oct. 10, bars and restaurants can serve patrons alcohol until 2:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 11. That’s two and a half more hours of Pride. On Aug. 2, Atlanta City Council adopted the ordinance to modify drinking hours within city limits. Atlanta Pride Committee shepherded the legislation through the office of Councilmember Carla Smith. But that was before APC canceled its in-person
Q
events, so we checked in with the mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, as well as Councilwoman Smith’s office to make sure. The ordinance stands, according to City of Atlanta Press Secretary Michael Smith who confirmed with City officials at Project Q’s request. Smith confirmed her intent to keep it on the books as well. “I agree Pride should have been canceled, but people can still go out and drink,” Smith told Q. The language of the ordinance makes the extended drinking hours clear. The Code of Ordinances of the City of Atlanta, Georgia are hereby waived in part in this instance only, for the sole purpose of allowing all establishments licensed to engage in the sale of alcoholic beverages for which they are appropriately licensed for on premises consumption, to engage in the sale of alcoholic beverages between the hours of 12:01 a.m., Monday, October 11, 2021 and 2:30 a.m., Monday, October 11, 2021. Extended bar hours are an annual rite of passage in many years past. It follows City practice on other special-occasion Sundays including New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day and Memorial Weekend. Events celebrating Pride Weekend in Atlanta take place Oct. 6-11. theQatl.com 15
