SLTPD: Enjoy New Year's Eve festivities safely

New Years Eve is nearly here. In town is the three-day Snow Globe Music Festival that began Thursday and will run through Dec. 31. The festival will be held on the sports field adjacent to the Lake Tahoe Community College on Al Tahoe Boulevard. We encourage our locals and visitors who desire to venture outdoors on New Year’s Eve to enjoy the celebration there.
One-day tickets are now on sale for $66. Visit the Snow Globe Festival website here. This special event will have loud music but it will also bring good business into our City, and provide a venue where people can celebrate in safety. We also hope this event may also relieve some of the pedestrian crowding on U.S. Highway 50 in the Stateline/casino corridor area.

Traditionally, each New Year’s Eve brings thousands of revelers to the state line casino corridor in celebration. We discourage people from being in the street, particularly on Highway 50 near Stateline on New Year’s Eve. Consistently, we are forced to close U.S. Highway 50 for public safety reasons. Each year a large law enforcement presence on both sides of the state line join efforts to manage safety issues involved with such a large crowd. It will be the same this year as well.

Should you opt to congregate in this area we would like our guests to remain aware of a few things in order to help us make this a safe and enjoyable evening for everyone:

— No glass or other hard beverage containers are permitted in the state line corridor on New Year’s Eve; regardless of whether or not they contain alcohol. Cans, bottles and similar hard containers are prohibited. Any violation of this ordinance will be strictly enforced on both sides of the state line as a misdemeanor criminal offense.
— If you are under 18 and plan to be out for the New Year’s Eve celebration, please be with your parents or other responsible adult. The South Lake Tahoe curfew is 10:00pm, every night, including New Year’s Eve. (SLT City Ordinance 18-3).
— Please, no loitering or remaining on public or private property once you have been asked to leave. (SLT City ordinances 18-12.1, 18-12 & section 602 Ca. Penal Code).
— Disorderly Conduct, Public Intoxication, is a misdemeanor criminal offense (647(f) Ca. penal code).
— Please place all trash in the appropriate containers (SLT City Ordinance 23-26).
— Possession of opened alcoholic beverages in public, or in vehicles, is a misdemeanor. (SLT City ordinance 18-9).
— Contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a misdemeanor offense (272 Ca. penal code).
— If you are having a NYE party, please keep your party orderly, whether at the hotel or at your residence, so it does not disturb your neighbors (415(2) Ca. penal code).
— Fireworks of ANY nature are illegal. Please do not bring these to the New Year’s Eve
celebration in the state line corridor (SLT City ordinance 12-31A).
— The lawful age to possess alcohol in California, open or not, is 21. (25662 Ca. B&P code).

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department understands everyone wants to enjoy themselves. Please help us maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone. Thank you for your assistance, and have a happy New Year!