COMING SOON: Entertainment district in the works for downtown Foley

The last city before the beach is getting an entertainment district.

Foley’s been all over headlines recently—from a historic bakery getting a much-needed makeover to the removal toll-booths that used to separate the city from the shore.

Now, city leaders have approved an entertainment district for the vibrant Main Street area of downtown Foley—and we have the details.

Awaiting final approval

The city council already approved the entertainment district, but it still needs a final vote. That’ll come in August.

Entertainment districts are often where the “open carry” laws for alcohol are suspended. Patrons can wander from bar-to-bar, restaurant-to-restaurant, all without having to toss a drink between stops.

Executive Director of Foley Main Street, Darrelyn Dunmore pointed to similar entertainment districts in places like Gadsden and downtown OWA as evidence that establishing one in Foley won’t increase crime rates.

[Gadsden] council members were afraid it would turn into New Orleans. It didn’t happen. Everything continues to go well. They actually expanded their district in 2019.”

Darrelyn Dunmore, executive director of Foley Main Street

In the meantime, business owners surveyed by Foley Main Street overwhelmingly approved of the idea:

“On the petition we had 150 yes and two no and one neutral. This was specifically in downtown Foley. These were all the business owners, people that were going in and supporting it.”

Darrelyn Dunmore, executive director of Foley Main Street

If green-lit next month, the entertainment district would allow patrons to carry an alcoholic beverage openly in the street, so long as the drink is in a Foley Main Street-approved cup and was bought at a Main Street business.

Dunmore anticipates a training program that will get all Main Street business owners up-to-speed on the various rules and regulations on the entertainment district. That will be scheduled after the final approval.

Dive into the full release here.

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