Rolling out a blanket and watching a movie at Hollywood Forever Cemetery is an L.A. rite of passage. And bringing a bottle of wine to one of Cinespia's beloved outdoor movie screenings? Even better. But the BYOB aspect of that tradition has been temporarily halted.
UPDATE 7/7: You can once again bring your own alcoholic drinks to Cinespia. Here's a statement from the organizers:
Today the ABC rescinded the temporary restrictions on BYOB alcohol at this weekend’s screening and screenings moving forward. The ABC met with the appropriate authorities and determined that the ban was not necessary.
Effective immediately our patrons can bring their own beer and wine to Cinespia in the same fashion as before. We will also continue to have a beer and wine bar with drinks for sale at each screening. This includes tomorrow’s screening of A League of Their Own.
Thank you to our local government and law enforcement and to all our faithful customers who trusted and supported us. Cheers!
Original article below.
Attendees at last weekend's Jurassic Park screening, as well as those with tickets for this Saturday's upcoming showing of A League of Their Own, reported receiving an email from Cinespia that urged guests to not bring their own alcoholic beverages.
We contacted Cinespia about the rule change, and indeed you won't be able to bring your own alcohol to screenings for the near future—though there will be drinks for sale. Here's a statement from Cinespia:
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has recently placed a temporary restriction at our Hollywood Forever outdoor screenings preventing our patrons from bringing in outside alcohol. As a proud Los Angeles institution for over 15 years, Cinespia will always comply with local and state laws, which are ever-changing and out of our control. Cinespia is dedicated to providing our audiences with the best experience possible. With this in mind, we will continue to offer a wide variety of on-site beverage options for sale, including beer and wine, at each of our outdoor screenings. We thank you for your understanding and your continued patronage and we look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event.
There's no estimate yet as to when the BYOB restriction will be lifted; the organizers say they'll keep guests updated via their website and newsletter. In the meantime, Cinespia is selling beer, wine and champagne at reduced prices in its onsite bar. Guests at the Jurassic Park screening may have noticed free pours from Stella Artois, but that was a one-off sponsorship and will not necessarily be the case going forward.
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