It’s a good summer to be a sports fan in the nation’s capital. Not only will Washington, D.C. play host to Major League Baseball’s All-Star game on July 17, but the midsummer classic will take place two days after the conclusion of soccer’s World Cup. That’s a full month of important sports to be watched — and D.C. legislators are making sure their local watering holes can take full advantage of the eager crowds.
New law means Washington, D.C. bars can open early, close late for World Cup, MLB All-Star games
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Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
District of Columbia mayor Muriel Bowser signed a bill into law Wednesday that will allow bars to begin serving alcohol at 7 a.m. during the four weeks of World Cup action — one hour earlier than typically allowed. That’s to accommodate start times that will stretch as early as 6 a.m. ET due to the event’s setting in Russia.
Things get even better for the capital’s heavy drinkers once the all-star break hits; from July 14-18, bars will be able to stay open 24 hours and serve alcohol until 4 am. Last call in the city is normally 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends. That leaves the discerning alcoholic a 20-hour window for sports-related boozing as baseball’s biggest stars descend on the DMV. However, these bars will have to register with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration before getting the all-clear to extend their days.
That’s a win for sports fans — and for local establishments looking to cash in on two major events. While those businesses will likely take a hit from a World Cup without Team USA, the extended hours will ensure fans of teams from Australia, South Korea, and Senegal will all have the chance to watch their squads in a rowdy group setting despite early kickoffs. And then, once the all-star game comes to town, they can hang out at the bars until 4 a.m. in hopes Shohei Ohtani stops by (he won’t).
