Drinking alcohol on campus is more restricted during Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and Monday some of these regulations for bars and restaurants were laid out. Champaign Mayor and Liquor Commissioner Deborah Frank Feinen issued an emergency order today regarding alcohol sales during Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day weekend, March 3-5.

All businesses that fall within the city limits of Champaign that possess a bar or restaurant liquor license will be affected by the order’s regulations. The city limits are bounded by Springfield Avenue on the north, Wright Street on the east, Kirby Avenue on the south and Neil Street on the west.

The regulations are as follows:

Bars and restaurants are banned from serving or permitting the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4.

Also prohibited are private functions that result in special drink pricing or other privileges on their premises from 10 a.m. on Friday, March 3, until 2:30 a.m on Sunday, March 5.

They are prohibited from serving beer in pitchers from 10 a.m Friday, March 3, until 2:30 a.m on Sunday, March 5.

Drinks are only to be served in aluminum containers (cans or bottles) or paper or plastic cups from 10 a.m Friday, March 3, until 2:30 a.m on Sunday, March 5.

Only people 21 and older can enter bars and restaurants from Friday at 10 a.m until Saturday at 2:30 a.m. The order resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. and ends on Sunday at 2:30 a.m.

No keg permits will be issued by the liquor commissioner for the time period from 12:01 a.m. Friday, March 3, until 2:30 a.m. Sunday, March 5. It is unlawful to possess more than one keg per residence.

“This is something that the liquor commissioner has done for quite a few years now, at least five years in a row,” said Matt Roeschley, deputy liquor commissioner and city manager for Champaign.

Roeschley said that the mayor’s primary intention in releasing this order is to preserve the health and safety of the community.

“Originally, this was done in response to Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day, in an attempt to curtail some of the extreme activity going on,” Roeschley said. “Other than what is in the original text, the mayor’s interest is to have additional rules to make Unofficial safer for everybody.”

Any licensee found in violation of the order will be fined $500 per violation.

Kevin Delgado, Jessica Berbey and Andrea Flores contributed to this report.

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