By Richard Sullins | richard@rantnc.com
“Broadway Our Way” is an annual spring celebration that brings families and neighbors together for a day of events commemorating the town’s heritage and honoring those things that make it a great town in which to live.
There are food vendors aplenty and music on a day that ends with dancing in the streets. But one thing that’s been missing at the festival so far is beer. None has been allowed in years past, although it tops the list of suggestions made every year for ways to bring more people to the event.
Mayor Donald Andrews gave a report to the town’s commissioners Monday on the work being done by the group planning the next event that is now just six months away. Among the suggestions made by this group of volunteers is one that would allow invited craft breweries to sell their products at the 2023 festival.
Andrews said if the change were to be made, participating brewers would be required to get a license for street sales and provide proof of insurance. The requirements under which craft beer could be sold and served would be contained within a draft version of a public ordinance.
The commissioners voted 4-1 to proceed with creating a draft ordinance that would be presented at their November meeting. If they’re satisfied with the outlines of the regulation, the public would have an opportunity to speak at a public hearing in December and a final vote could come as early as January.
“Most of the towns around us now allow this,” Andrews said. “We are not talking about creating a ‘social district’ here. This would be a one-time event with sales allowed under the conditions and restrictions that we would create ourselves.”
Several of the members wanted more information before moving forward with any kind of a plan that would allow sales of craft beer on the day of the festival. Commissioner Jim Paschal said he had no feelings on it either way but asked “does it have an impact on anything else that we are trying to do?” One of Paschal’s colleagues on the board, Commissioner Teresa Kelly, said “I want to know what this might impact, too, and if we do it, what might we have to lose?”
Mayor Pro Tempore Tommy Beal cast the lone vote against drafting a proposed resolution. It is expected to be presented to the commissioners at their next meeting on November 28.