Happy Hour: Open Containers Now Allowed in Bellevue, Kentucky Entertainment District

Bellevue, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, is the latest city to follow in the footsteps on Las Vegas and New Orleans in allowing alcoholic beverages in the public realm.

1 minute read

November 29, 2019, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Ohio River

Land of liberal open container laws. | Wholtone / Wikimedia Commons

"Fairfield Avenue will be merrier and brighter this holiday season with adults now legally allowed to carry their alcoholic beverages in a designated area of the sidewalk, and from bar to bar," reports Emily Hanford-Ostmann.

Bellevue, Kentucky is opening its new entertainment district to public consumption just in time for the traditional post-Thanksgiving parties. In Bellevue's case, there's also an annual Christmas Walk.

"Bellevue joins cities like Hamilton and Milford in creating designated districts where bar and restaurant customers can take a stroll while drinking a beer or cocktail," according to Hanford-Onstmann. Other cities with similarly post-Puritan drinking laws documented by Planetizen over the years include Covington (also notably located on the same side of the river in the same region) as well as cities in Ohio, Tennessee, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Alabama.

In Bellevue, as in the other examples, supporters of the idea how to lure visitors to the area, with these public drinking laws amounting to a tool of economic development.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019 in WCPO

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Streetcar and bus stopped at station on Market Street in San Francisco with Ferry Building visible in background.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street

If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

April 16 - San Francisco Examiner

Parklet with wooden benches and flower boxes on street in Ireland.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces

Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

April 16 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Bronze statue of homeless man (Jesus) with head down and arm outstretched in front of St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.

April 16 - The New York Times