Council approves 2025‑26 alcohol and cabaret licenses and one‑day festival premise extensions

Port Washington — The Common Council on May 20 approved the city’s list of original and renewal alcohol and cabaret licenses for the 2025–26 licensing year and granted one‑day extensions of premises for selected businesses participating in the Port Main Street Festival of the Arts.

City Clerk Susan told the council the General Government and Finance Committee had reviewed the applications and recommended approval; the police department had performed background checks. The license categories approved include Class A beer, Class A liquor, Class B beer, Class B liquor and Class C wine, and annual cabaret licenses. Susan noted one applicant, Athira (Athira Foods) on Harris Drive, appears twice on the worksheet because it applied for an original license to cover the period from approval through June and also a renewal for the license year beginning July 1.

The council also approved a one‑day extension of the alcohol premises to allow Inventor’s Brewpub and Steeridge Dining Saloon to serve alcohol within barricaded festival grounds on Washington Street and in the State Bank parking lot for the Main Street Festival. Staff said previous years’ extensions had been administered without issues and that the festival footprint moved east of Franklin Street this year because of Highway 33 construction.

Council approved the licenses and the one‑day extension by voice vote. The clerk said she will issue licenses after verifying payment of fees and other requirements.