Aurora creates temporary liquor licenses for festivals
As fests go, the Illinois Paddlesports Festival seems about as far from dry as possible.
Canoes, kayaks and splashing around Mastodon Lake at Phillips Park in Aurora are all part of the fun of the event, planned for June 9 and 10.
But the festival was in danger of being dry in another way — it didn't have a liquor license.
Luckily for festival organizers who want to host a wine tasting, the Aurora City Council on Tuesday night approved an ordinance change that allows nonprofits running festivals to apply for temporary liquor licenses.
The change only applies to nonprofits that are planning city-sponsored events, and applies only on city park and recreation properties such as Phillips Park or RiverEdge Park once it's constructed, city Clerk Cheryl Vonhoff said.
Each request for a temporary liquor license would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to examine factors such as the need for security, Mayor Tom Weisner said.
In the Paddlesports Festival's case, organizers want to host a wine tasting in conjunction with Art in the Park, a local art fair planned to add to the event's dry-land appeal.
Wine consumption will be restricted to inside a tent set up for the tasting. City staff and Fox Valley Park District police, who normally patrol Phillips Park, will be monitoring drinkers, said Rosario DeLeon, Aurora's chief operations officer.
With the opening of RiverEdge Park and its Music Garden on the horizon, Alderman Lynda Elmore said now is the perfect time to change the ordinance to allow temporary liquor licenses for certain festival organizers.
An element of controlled alcohol sales will bring the park in line with what traditionally has been allowed in downtown Aurora, she said.