Council Approves Alcohol at Hub City Days

Carry-Ins Not Allowed at Car Show

Clarification: Attendees will be able to carry malted beverages in the beer garden and festival grounds, separate from Brew Fest.

The Common Council has approved drinking alcoholic beverages during the Hub City Days Car & Bike Show on July 27.

The approval relaxes open container restrictions from 10-4 p.m. in the areas where the car show takes place downtown. Carry-ins will still be prohibited under state statute but beverages can be purchased at various locations.

Police Chief Rick Gramza stated during the meeting that a similar measure worked well for the Downtown Wine Walk, based on officer observation and feedback from businesses. Individuals will need to be ID’d and have a wristband to consume alcohol at the festival.

“We have been faced with some challenges of there being carry-ins in some of these events. Individuals at the car show would bring coolers,” said Gramza. “It created a contradiction because with our city parks, which some of them align where the car show is, you can lawfully drink in city parks as long as they’re not covered under a license, but you wouldn’t be able to necessarily on the sidewalk or next to the vehicle which might be right next to you.”

Allowing open containers would discourage attendees from consuming a drink quickly before returning to their vehicle.

“In an effort to curb binge drinking, which is very dangerous for the community and not supported by the police department, a little bit of lenience here is felt that it may allow people to enjoy their beverages rather than consuming their beverages in a fast manner,” said Gramza.

The Brew Fest area will be fenced off and is not part of the open container area. Festival attendees will be able to carry malted beverages in the beer garden and the festival grounds from 10-4 p.m. After 4 p.m., beverages will be restricted to the beer garden.

The motion carries 9-1 with Alderman Spiros voting no.