The Green Music Center at Sonoma State University attracts people of all ages. The newer addition of the music center to the university provides year round performances of classical, contemporary and jazz and names like Toby Keith and Colbie Caillat have played at the venue in the past. The Green Music Center includes two halls where the entertainment is held as well as a lawn seating area.

At events held at the venue, people over the age of 21 can purchase beer or wine but under the California Alcohol and Beverage Control, wineries are not allowed to sell their alcohol at concert events even if they sponsor them.  Senate Bill 462 would allow the GMC to sell the wine or beer companies that support the Green Music Center. The bill has already been passed by both houses of Legislature and is now waiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature.

 “We want to be able to secure sponsorship and advertisement from wineries because they help us with our budget so we would feature their wine at our events to help promote them,” said Larry Furukawa-Schlereth, Sonoma State’s chief financial officer and the music center’s co-executive director.

 The Green Music Center’s budget is roughly $9 million, which is primarily funded by ticket sales. However, with this bill being passed we can expect about $400,000 annually for the first years of the bill being put into action.

  “With more wineries me and my friends would definitely go more since were 21 and I think that going to the GMC events will become the thing to do,” said senior kinesiology major Natasha Benson.