Drink up: Manassas will let you stroll downtown with booze during First Fridays

Drink and be merry during the upcoming First Friday in Manassas, Virginia: For the first time, people will be able to walk away from a restaurant where they purchased an alcoholic beverage to enjoy other the First Friday festivities.

The City of Manassas is using a new permit from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority that lets folks imbibe within a designated area for a special event.

This means folks who buy boozy beverages (sold in a specific plastic cup) can carry them around the celebrations in Historic Downtown.

Signs will mark the event boundaries.

“Using the new permit will allow folks to move more freely enjoying all of the activities happening during a First Friday event,” City Manager W. Patrick Pate said in a release.

“Participants at events in the City of Manassas enjoy the family friendly atmosphere and responsible attendees.”

The permit will allow a locality to permit people to consume alcoholic beverages in designated spots 12 times a year.

This year’s First Friday is Sept. 6, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. It’s hosted by Historic Manassas, Inc. and the City of Manassas and is free to the public.

Here’s the area where alcohol will be permitted. (Courtesy City of Manassas)

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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