Cartersville 'Entertainment District' Premieres This Weekend

CARTERSVILLE, GA — Downtown Cartersville’s “Entertainment District” — which allows visitors to “sip” alcoholic beverages while they “stroll and shop,” according to city officials — premieres this weekend, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Starting Thursday at 5 p.m., individuals can carry open containers of alcohol in an area bounded by Church, Main, Erwin and Tennessee streets. The alcohol must be purchased in the district — no BYOB — and remain in disposable Entertainment District-approved cups at all times. (As the Cartersville Downtown Development Authority notes on its Facebook page, "No, you can't BYOB unless you want to Bring Your Own Bail money.")

The Entertainment District will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Lillie Read, Cartersville's downtown development director, told Patch on Thursday that public feedback has been "very positive" so far.

"People are excited about having a new way to enjoy downtown, businesses are optimistic about the potential economic boost, and we’re getting a lot of social-media traffic from places like Milton, Atlanta, Marietta, and Canton, with people saying they are looking forward to coming here and enjoying the entertainment district," Read said.

Read added that Cartersville plans to introduce a smartphone app that will help track any issues related to the district, allowing them to be reported directly to city officials.

After some pushback from the community, Cartersville’s city council in January approved an ordinance establishing the district on the condition that it be re-approved every year. Cary Roth was the only councilman who voted against the district.

“I don’t think this adds a great deal to our downtown community,” Roth said at the time to The Daily Tribune News in Cartersville. “I would stand with several in our community that are opposed to this ordinance of open containers in our downtown district.”

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