Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – June 13, 2024 – It’s official. There is an ordinance on the agenda to establish an Entertainment District in Downtown Jonesboro.

Local community members are striving to duplicate the success of other cities in the region with blossoming downtown areas, like Batesville and Mountain Home.

The goal of an Entertainment District is to promote an atmosphere aimed at increasing business and promoting tourism in the downtown area. Patrons and restaurant-goers of legal age would be allowed to purchase and carry alcoholic beverages within a specified boundary, without violating public open container laws.

See the proposed district boundary map below.

The proposed area extends from Church to Madison, and Washington to Cate, with an extension on the west side of the “square” to include several restaurants between Huntington and Monroe.

A permitted restaurant could allow a patron to take their alcoholic drink – in a certain sized cup that is branded in a certain way – out of the establishment and walk to another location within the Entertainment District.

Here are some of the particulars of the ordinance regarding the Outside Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages.

You can leave the premises of an approved restaurant/licensee with an alcoholic beverage under certain conditions:

(1) It must be between the hours of 10am and 10pm Thursday through Saturday.

(2) The beverage must be in a designated 16-ounce cup with the Entertainment District logo.

(3) You must be wearing a district wristband, which shows that the restaurant checked your photo ID and determined that you are legally able to consume alcohol.

The restaurant/licensee must be approved as a member of the district by the Entertainment District Oversight Committee, which will be appointed by the Jonesboro Mayor and approved by the City Council. And the restaurant/licensee will also be required to display the rules of the Entertainment District and a map of the district boundaries.

Some other important stipulations…you can’t:

  • drink a beverage in your vehicle, even if it’s in the district
  • bring in your own beverage from outside the district
  • take a district cup containing alcohol outside of the district
  • drink from a district container while NOT wearing a wristband

As of now, it’s in the ordinance phase. The next step is a meeting with the Public Safety Committee. If approved, there will be 3 readings by the full City Council.