The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is once again banning alcohol consumption on Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road trains this weekend as the city celebrates SantaCon.
The ban will start at 4 a.m. Saturday and last through noon Sunday, the MTA said in a press release Monday morning. It will apply to all station platforms and train cars.
The MTA says there will be an increased police presence at Penn Station and at Grand Central this weekend to enforce the alcohol restriction.
Police will take alcoholic beverages from riders who are drinking and issue summonses, according to the MTA. Violators could also be removed from trains and stations by police.
“Ensuring everyone has access to safe and orderly travel is a top priority,” MTA Police Chief John Mueller wrote in a statement. “The holiday season is a wonderful time of year, and we want everyone to get to their destination smoothly and on time while enjoying the festivities.”
This year, SantaCon will start on Saturday at 10 a.m. and formally last until 8 p.m.
SantaCon is a yearly pub crawl that benefits charity where people dress in Santa Claus costumes or other Christmas-themed outfits. It is celebrated in the city and in other cities around the world.
The SantaCon website describes the event as “a charitable, non-political, nonsensical Santa Claus convention that happens once a year to spread absurdist joy.”
The event has drawn criticism from some New Yorkers, though, for the rowdy behavior of some of the participants.