The Moorpark City Council has approved Ventura County’s first “entertainment zone,” authorized by Senate Bill 969, allowing people to drink alcoholic beverages on public streets, sidewalks or public rights-of-way under city-approved restrictions. At least a dozen California cities have approved entertainment zones since the bill’s September 2024 passage including Santa Monica, Long Beach, Sacramento, Auburn, San Francisco, Fort Bragg, Redding and Tehachapi.
The Moorpark City Council voted on June 17 for a two-year pilot program establishing the High Street Entertainment Zone running between Moorpark Avenue and Spring Street. The entertainment zone will only be activated when Downtown Moorpark’s historic High Street is shut down for vehicular traffic during up to six special events a year staged by nonprofits. Annual events in Moorpark which might apply include Moorpark Country Days held each October, the Christmas-themed Holiday on High Street and the Apricot Festival and Art Fair held in May.
The High Street Entertainment Zone is fronted by the newly constructed mixed-used complex called The Depot, with 79 apartment units, a public plaza and 14,000 square feet of commercial space which is beginning to become occupied. Mayor Chris Enegren said during the meeting that the High Street Entertainment Zone could help attract new businesses to Downtown Moorpark.
“And this is just one more thing that we’re gonna do that no other city in the area has and it helps us market that street. And I hope that brings in the right people that want to get together and be proactive in this. I think we’ll have some great events out of it,” said Enegren, who was careful to point out that his nearby beer business, Enegren Brewing Co. on Zachary Street, is not geographically eligible to participate in the High Street Entertainment Zone.
There are four open establishments with alcohol licenses which would be allowed to sell drinks to be consumed in the High Street Entertainment Zone: Lucky Fools Pub, Freda’s Fine Food and Drink, Luna Llena Restaurant and High Street Arts Center. The recently closed M on High restaurant location is also eligible.
Only one public speaker addressed the council, Morgan Kent, representing High Street Arts Center which organizes the Moorpark Apricot and Art Fair. Kent wanted to make sure nonprofits continue to benefit from alcohol sales under the entertainment zone proposal.
“The reality is that nonprofits are often bearing the financial risk through sponsorships, donations and many volunteer hours,” Kent said. “While I appreciate the concept of allowing both businesses and nonprofits to participate in an entertainment zone, the broad alcohol availability during nonprofit-led events could unintentionally reduce one of the few revenue sources that makes these events financially possible.”
The vote to approve the High Street Entertainment Zone was 3-0 with two council members abstaining because they lived or worked so close to High Street that voting would pose a conflict of interest.
City council makes entertainment zone a priority
Moorpark Deputy Community Development Director Gene Burse told the Ventura County Reporter that the city council included an entertainment zone on High Street as part of the council’s goals and adopted a budget covering fiscal years 2025 through 2027. The High Street Entertainment Zone should generate additional sales tax revenue for the city.
“So really trying to increase the traffic on High Street, getting more people to generate more economic vitality and synergy along High Street and get more eyes and feet on High Street so people can experience the space and then maybe consider investing in High Street,” Burse said in an interview following the council meeting.
Moorpark is considered one of the safest cities in America, Burse said, and conditions of approval for entertainment zone events will be strictly enforced.
“To address concerns related to public drunkenness and public safety…there are some controls built into this pilot to help mitigate some of the potential nuisance issues,” said Burse, noting that High Street Entertainment Zone events will be limited to the hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. no more than six days a year. “It’s a two-year pilot. So, we get the opportunity to test it out. And if the council likes it, they can keep it, they can expand it, or they can modify it how they see fit.”
Ventura takes pause on entertainment zone
A discussion by the Ventura City Council at the Dec. 16, 2025 meeting led to a 4-3 vote against testing out a pilot entertainment zone this summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The proposal analyzed a potential Downtown Ventura entertainment zone in effect from Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Instead, a majority of council members voted for staff to return with a more detailed proposal near the end of 2026.
At the direction of the city council in September 2025, Ventura city staff analyzed a potential entertainment zone pilot program for the Main Street Moves (MSM) area where vehicular traffic is not allowed on Main and California streets. City staff did not recommend moving ahead with the entertainment zone plan last December, citing the additional costs particularly for public safety, which could be nearly $500,000 per year for two police officers and a sergeant working overtime to staff the entertainment zone.
Ventura Police Chief David Dickey told the council there could be up to 37 bars and restaurants which might participate in a MSM entertainment zone and sell drinks to people walking around outside.
“Anytime you put alcohol and humans together, at times we’re going to have some issues, and the more alcohol and the more humans, those issues oftentimes increase,” said Dickey, adding that bar security guards and the Park Safety Ambassadors (recognizable by their red jackets) hired by Downtown Ventura Partners already work in concert with police to keep Downtown Ventura safe. “We still have issues that come up from time to time, and that’s without the freedom to move within the area, potential outside influences coming in, etcetera, that could result from having this entertainment zone.”
Added patrols and enforcement in a Downtown Ventura entertainment zone would cause a “substantial impact” on police staffing levels and resources, Dickey said.
“It’s not uncommon for us to have, just to be very frank, large fights at some of the alcohol establishments later in the evening that require 12 to 14 officers to respond. So, it’s hard to predict when that’s going to happen. High level of deterrence with visible officers is absolutely a must to try to minimize that.”
Different perspectives offered by city councilmembers
Councilmember Bill McReynolds made a motion to move ahead with plans for an entertainment zone pilot program. McReynolds’ motion failed 4-3 with support from Mayor Dr. Jeannette Sánchez-Palacios and Deputy Mayor Doug Halter. Councilmembers Ryyn Schumacher, Alex Mangone, Jim Duran and Liz Campos voted against the motion. McReynolds said the entertainment zone would boost MSM.
“I don’t want to lose momentum on that,” McReynolds said. “I think it’s important that we do move forward with these opportunities as they come forward. I think that’s how we get the businesses to invest more money into Main Street.”
Councilmember Campos said families feel comfortable walking around in the MSM area now and was worried how alcohol could change that.
“It’s a safe place for their children, and I think that expanding this into that space may make a huge change, and that will also affect business. Business will go down with purchases made by people who want to be there with their children,” Campos said. “I would hate to see them feel like they can’t go to Main Street anymore because it gets scary with a lot of people drinking.”