Alcohol Now Legal in Yakima Parks – What Are the Rules?

You may have heard that last night, Yakima's city council passed an ordinance making it legal to drink alcohol in parks.

What does that mean, exactly? What can you do now, and what can't you do? I assume there are a few questions about the new ordinance, so I wanted to answer them here:

Can I bring a beer to the park with me next time I go?

No. The ordinance only relates to special events. You cannot bring your own alcohol to the city park. You will need a special events permit to serve alcohol in any Yakima park.

How do I get a special events permit?

Step one is to contact the liquor control board and request a special events permit. That, in turn, is sent to the city for review and approval.

The permitting process is geared toward special events – festivals, city-wide celebrations and events, and fundraisers.

You would also need to reserve the park through a separate permitting process.

If I have my wedding in the park, can I serve alcohol?

Possibly – you should apply for an alcohol permit and if it gets approved, you're free serve alcohol at that event.

I remember getting a beer at Case of the Blues at Sarge Hubbard Park – so how is this different than what was legal before?

In the previous law, there was an exception for corporate fundraisers in certain parks – like Sarge Hubbard Park. The new law allows anyone to apply for a special permit at any city park.