Question: I heard that beer can be sold at collegiate
baseball games now, but I thought we had a local ordinance prohibiting alcohol
on city fields. What’s the call?
Answer: Batter up! Thanks to a 2011 change in state law, you
can have a beer or glass of wine to sip as you take in a great game—even on a
city field.
Cities may issue an on-sale wine license and an on-sale malt
liquor license to a person who owns a summer collegiate league baseball team,
or to a person holding a concessions or management contract with the team owner.
This license allows beverage sales at a ballpark or stadium located within the
city during baseball games—notwithstanding any law, local ordinance, or charter
provision. Minn.
Stat. § 340A.404, subd.
1 (d).
So what and where are these summer collegiate baseball
teams? Nine teams comprise the northern division of the Northwoods League,
where top college baseball players gain experience. Many go on to play in the
major leagues. There are nine more teams in the southern division, buy hey,
that’s Wisconsin and Michigan.
In the Northwoods League you can take to the bleachers to
watch the Alexandria Blue Anchors, Duluth Huskies, Mankato MoonDogs, Rochester Honkers, St. Cloud Rox, or the Willmar Stingers take on each other and the
Thunder Bay Border Cats, the Waterloo Bucks or the Eau Claire Express.
So grab family and friends, map your route to one of the nearby cities hosting these local stadiums, and have some outstanding
outdoor ballpark fun.
This blog post conveys general information. It’s not legal advice. Please check with your city attorney before acting on this information.
This blog post conveys general information. It’s not legal advice. Please check with your city attorney before acting on this information.