BELLEVUE, Ky. — Fairfield Avenue will be merrier and brighter this holiday season with adults now legally allowed to carry their alcoholic beverages in a designated area of the sidewalk, and from bar to bar.
Bellevue opens its new entertainment district Friday in time for the Fairfield Avenue Christmas Walk, according to a city news release.
Bellevue joins cities like Hamilton and Milford in creating designated districts where bar and restaurant customers can take a stroll while drinking a beer or cocktail. The purpose of the entertainment district is to encourage residents to gather at businesses on Fairfield Avenue and hope they stick around.
“We’re very excited to try something new to help our merchants and to create some excitement in our business district,” Bellevue Mayor Charlie Cleves said in a written statement. “If I can have a cocktail while my wife shops on Fairfield Avenue, I think I would last twice as long walking around with her.”
The Bellevue Entertainment District (BED) is located between O’Fallon Avenue and Riviera Drive/Riverboat Row on Fairfield Avenue.
Customers must purchase the reusable, entertainment district cup for 50 cents from a qualifying establishment within the district, the release said. Only customers with the branded cup can walk on the city street and enter participating businesses with their “to go” beverages.
The BED hours of operation are from noon until 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Signs designating the entertainment district’s boundaries will be posted.
According to the release, more police will be on patrol to make sure people are complying with the BED rules.
The new district will be put to the test for the first time at the Fairfield Avenue Christmas Walk Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event features shopping and dining at local businesses, prizes and a visit from Santa.
