Montgomery County, Maryland, may allow you to a raise a glass of your favorite alcoholic beverage in its parks once again.
The county had stopped allowing alcohol in its parks on July 1.
But Montgomery County Council member Tom Hucker’s office told WTOP that the county is currently seeking an Attorney General opinion on whether they can allow alcohol in parks now that the state of emergency is lifted.
“After they receive that, they will assess whether or not they need some sort of legislation — either at the state or county level,” said Genevieve Kurtz, communications director for Hucker.
She said that the Maryland-National Capital Park Police are doing a 30-day education and awareness campaign in the parks to let people know that the rules are changing.
And that they will not be issuing citations for alcohol use in the month of July.
“Our public safety lead spoke with an MCPD captain last week, who said they are planning to issue the same non-enforcement directive to their officers,” Kurtz said.
Montgomery Parks said on Twitter that they hope to put a similar program in place in the future so you can enjoy your favorite cocktail along with some scenery.
The Picnic in the Park program started in 13 parks last fall as a way to help local restaurants struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
But when Maryland’s State of Emergency was lifted, the program was suspended.
It allowed visitors to bring their own drinks with them to the parks, but the goal was to have people order from local restaurants.
