Bellevue, Kentucky's Fairfield Avenue is about to get a little bit merrier beginning this holiday season. The city's request for an Entertainment Destination Center License was approved by the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control on Nov. 13, legalizing the consumption of alcohol while walking throughout the specified boundaries of the business entertainment district (BED) during the approved days and times.
The license is defined in the following way: "An entertainment destination center license shall authorize the licensee to sell alcoholic beverages by the drink at one (1) or more nonpermanent locations within common areas of the entertainment destination center over which the licensee, by lease or ownership, has exclusive control... a licensee within the entertainment destination center may allow patrons to leave the individually licensed premises with an alcoholic beverage drink and enter other licensed premises and the common areas of the center, if adequate security is provided by the entertainment destination center licensee at each point of ingress and egress."
The new district and laws will launch on Friday, Nov. 29 for the Fairfield Avenue Christmas Walk, a festive two-day event where participating restaurants, bars and shops offer their goods and chances to win gift cards and Bellevue Bucks.
The BED boundaries run from O'Fallon Avenue to Riviera Drive along Fairfield Avenue and will be active noon-10 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Alcohol must be purchased from one of the participating bars or restaurants and must be in a specified city-approved BED cup, which can be purchased at the establishments.
"This is something new and we’re learning as we go. We have looked at what other cities have done in this department such as Owensboro, Maysville, Somerset and others. Our effort is to try to energize Fairfield Avenue with fun events and programming. We want our merchants to be successful and maybe this will help a little," says Mayor Charlie Cleves on the city's website.
There is a list of rules that must be followed while participating in the BED — alcohol can't be taken past specified boundaries, outside alcohol can't be brought in, etc. The rules will also be printed on the cups and posted inside the participating establishments.
For more information, visit bellevueky.org
