CLANTON, Ala. (WIAT) – You can add Clanton to the list of communities launching entertainment districts with the hope of bringing more foot traffic at night into the city.
After sundown, things get quiet in the City of Clanton. But now with the launch of this Peach Entertainment District – the city is hopeful to inject new life into these business.
“We couldn’t have chose a better spot for this place and people always say this is what downtown Clanton needed,” The Bearded Peach Manager Trae Wagner said.
The craft beer and wine hub opened only four months ago across from City Hall. It is looking forward to extra foot traffic.
“I’m just excited for the potential for people to bring our beer and what we offer into this entertainment district that we’re about to open,” Wagner said.
The city officially signed off on a new arts and entertainment district downtown on Monday with a 4-2 vote.
“Just trying to bring things to town getting people more excited about coming to downtown because they haven’t been for a long time,” Mayor Jeff Mims said.
The district will operate from 5 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday – The Bearded Peach along with four other businesses can sell alcohol their customers can enjoy on downtown sidewalks.
“I just had to feel my heart and vote the way I felt was right,” District 5 Councilwoman Mary M. Smith said.
Smith voted against the district because she and other members of First Baptist Church around the corner from the entertainment district are concerned about alcohol on the streets.
“I was opposed to it from the beginning,” Smith said. “After people began calling me and texting me and things like that then I felt like I really needed to vote with my heart.”
She said she is happy to know police will patrol the district and that the city is doing what it can to make it as safe as possible.
“They’ve been working hard to make sure everything is true and correct,” Smith said. “It makes me feel better, much better.”
And it doesn’t have to stay.
“If it don’t work all we gotta do is cut the switch off,” Mims said. “We want it to work and I think it will.”
Mims said the city plans to open the Peach Entertainment District the weekend of April 1. He said some streets will be closed and they’ll bring food trucks to get more people walking around town.
