ENROLLED ORIGINAL
A RESOLUTION
25-258
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
September 19, 2023
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to extend the hours of
operation, sale, service, and consumption of alcoholic beverages for on-premises
retailers, manufacturers holding an on-site sales and consumption permit, and temporary
license holders for the 2023 World Culture Festival and the All Night and Dine All Night
events, to allow and establish indoor and outdoor entertainment hours for businesses that
register with the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board for the Art All Night and Dine
All Night events, and to allow non-alcohol licensees that hold a valid certificate of
occupancy to register with the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board to sell, serve, and
permit the consumption of alcoholic beverages during the Art All Night and Dine All
Night events.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “2023 World Culture Festival, Art All Night, and Dine All Night
Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023”.
Sec. 2. (a) The World Culture Festival is organized by the Art of Living Foundation, a
non-governmental organization accredited by the United Nations in 1996 with the purpose of
celebrating culture, diversity, and unity through music and other forms of art.
(b) This year, the District will host the fourth World Culture Festival from September 29,
2023 through October 1, 2023, and become the first US city to host this event. The World
Culture Festival was previously hosted by Bangalore, India, New Delhi, India, and Berlin,
Germany. The event has attracted a host of attendees to these cities ranging from 70,000 to 3.75
million people. This year, over 250,000 people are expected to attend the World Culture Festival
on the National Mall.
(c) The Art All Night event takes place this year on September 29, 2023 and September
30, 2023. Art All Night allows residents and visitors to enjoy performing and visual arts
throughout the District’s business corridors and view local artists on the center stage. Art All
Night, which is organized by the Department of Small and Local Business Development
(“DSLBD”), has grown since 2011 to over 20 participating neighborhoods located in all 8 wards
with over 180,000 attendees from across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia
region.
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 ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(d) In addition, the District will hold the inaugural Dine All Night event from September
21, 2023 through October 1, 2023. Dine All Night is an all-night dining and culinary event
organized by DSLBD that involves qualifying restaurants and food establishments. Dine All
Night provides residents and visitors with an opportunity to enjoy the boundless creativity and
artistic skills of our local chefs and mixologists.
(e) The emergency legislation will allow restaurants, food establishments, and other
businesses to participate in these events and to extend their hours of operation to 24 hours a day,
including offering alcoholic beverages between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. for sale,
service, and consumption. Businesses participating in Art All Night or Dine All Night may offer
outdoor entertainment until 11 p.m. and indoor entertainment until 2 a.m. during those dates that
they are registered to participate with DSLBD. Businesses participating in Art All Night or Dine
All Night with a valid certificate of occupancy may sell, serve, and permit the consumption of
alcoholic beverages during those dates that they are registered with DSLBD to participate.
(f) The emergency legislation requires licensees and eligible businesses to register with
the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration and the Metropolitan Police Department
by September 28, 2023, prior to the start of the World Culture Festival and Art All Night on
September 29, 2023, to allow for the advance planning of staffing and resources. Consequently,
it is necessary for the Council to consider the legislation on an emergency basis.
Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute
emergency circumstances making it necessary that the 2023 World Culture Festival, Art All
Night, and Dine All Night Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 be adopted after a single
reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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