Under Georgia’s byzantine and ever-changing blue laws, restaurants—defined as establishments that make the majority of their revenue from food—can sell alcohol on Sundays, but bars cannot. There is an exception, though: A 2017 state law allows communities to choose one Sunday per year when bars can open. This year, that Sunday is Dec. 31.
And unlike most Sundays, when alcohol sales must stop at midnight, both bars and restaurants will be able to keep the booze flowing until 2:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1, giving revelers plenty of time for toasts ringing in the new year.
The Athens-Clarke County Commission makes such decisions after the Finance Department polls bar owners on their preferred date. In 2024, the city’s one wet Sunday will be St. Patrick’s Day, Mar. 17.
The Flagpole Calendar will continue to be updated over the coming weeks with all the local New Year’s Eve happenings as they are announced.
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