Upstate New York Summer Tourist Destination May Close Early

A popular Upstate New York summer destination wants to change party time hours. What will this mean for the thousands of residents and tourists?

Saratoga County officials are considering a plan to change bar closing times based on the time of year. Right now, bars can stay open until 4 a.m., but some county supervisors think closing earlier might be a better idea.

The topic came up during a Saratoga County Law and Finance Committee meeting according to The Daily Gazette. It’s not the first time this has been discussed. Over the years, there have been at least four requests to change bar hours. However, any official change would need approval from the State Liquor Authority.

Committee Chairman and city Supervisor Matt Veitch said he brought up the idea after hearing concerns about late-night bar hours and the cost of police overtime. His proposal suggests different closing times depending on the season.

From May 1st to October 1st, bars would close at 3 a.m. instead of 4 a.m. This would still allow late-night business during the busy summer months when the city sees more tourists.

From November 1st to April 30th, bars would close at 2 a.m. The only exception would be New Year’s Eve when bars could stay open until 4 a.m.

“We get a lot of visitors in the summer, so letting bars stay open close to 4 a.m. makes sense,” Veitch said. “But during the rest of the year, it might be better to close a little earlier.”

Many local bars already start shutting down around 2 a.m., so this change wouldn’t be a huge adjustment for them. If approved, the new hours wouldn’t take effect until next year.