Sonora To Start Allowing Sale Of Alcohol Products At Farmers Market
Sonora, CA — As part of an effort to continue to grow the Sonora Farmers Market, the city will start allowing producers of items like wine, beer, and hard cider to sell at the Saturday events.
The city expanded the Farmers Market footprint this year, for the first time in over a decade, closing down a stretch of Stewart Street on Saturday mornings to allow more space for sellers.
Sonora Community Development Director Tyler Summersett recently received an application from Posterity Ciderworks of Mokelumne Hill to sell its product, and pour small samples to interested customers. Summersett brought the application to the city council for review at this week’s meeting to see how the leaders would like to proceed during the remainder of this year, and future years. He indicated that it would be “a first” to allow alcohol sales at the Sonora market. He noted that these types of producers are allowed at some nearby farmers’ markets, like Angels Camp and Murphys.
Summerset stressed that people would be buying sealed products, and there would not be open containers allowed by people walking around the market. California’s Alcohol Beverage Control already has rules and licensing established for businesses that wish to sell at Farmers Markets.
All five councilmembers voiced strong support for the idea of allowing alcohol producers both this year and moving forward. They expressed optimism about how it could help grow the event in future years and potentially start the ball rolling toward having some type of beer or wine festival, spinoff.
A vote to start allowing alcohol vendors at the market was approved, 5-0.
It was noted that at least one Oakdale brewery had reached out to the city years ago about selling their product and was told that alcohol sales are not allowed. City staff were encouraged to reach out to anyone who may have inquired in previous years to see if there is still an interest.
