Soon patrons of several downtown businesses in Hopkinsville that serve alcoholic beverages could be allowed to take their drinks outdoors and walk to other establishments without fear of violating open-carry restrictions.
The city is preparing to seek approval from state officials for Hopkinsville’s Downtown Entertainment District, which city council approved in 2024.
Street signs that mark the district’s boundaries are going up this week, and once they are all installed — likely by Thursday — the city will request an inspection by Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control, City Administrator Troy Body told Hoptown Chronicle.
Hopkinsville would join roughly a dozen other cities that have established what the state law calls Entertainment Destination Centers.
Hopkinsville Brewing Co. co-owner Kate Russell said her business is one of the downtown establishments that wants to participate. Several owners and managers recently met with City Finance Director Melissa Clayton to discuss how the city will implement its district, said Russell.
Businesses that apply for a Downtown Entertainment District license will be required to have their employees take training on “responsible serving,” said Russell. The city will conduct the training.
The business owners don’t want intoxicated customers walking about with open containers, said Russell. Instead, they are looking for ways to make downtown more convenient for patrons. For example, she said, if someone is at the brewery before a show at the Alhambra, they wouldn’t need to gulp down their drink before they could walk a block up Main Street and enter the theater. Or someone who prefers bourbon could get a cocktail at The Mixer and then walk over to the brewery to meet friends.
Anyone leaving one of the licensed businesses would need to have their drink in a branded cup that will be the same for all of the businesses that sign up. Supporters say this stipulation addresses concerns about people bringing their own alcohol into downtown to skirt open-carry restrictions.
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“This is an exciting step forward in making downtown Hopkinsville a more dynamic and inviting destination,” Mayor James R. Knight Jr. said in a press release. “Our goal is to create a welcoming space where people can gather, enjoy live entertainment and support our local businesses in a fun and responsible way.”
According to a city map of the district, businesses currently in the area that serve alcohol include The Bourbon Society, The Local, The Mixer, Hopkinsville Brewing, The Crusty Pig, Book & Bottle and the Alhambra Theatre. It also encompasses Founders Square, where vendors sometimes serve alcohol for festivals and special events.
Other Kentucky cities that have Entertainment Destination Centers include Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Bowling Green, Ashland, Morehead, Paducah, Owensboro, Corbin, Mount Sterling, Somerset and Midway.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
