FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – The City of Florence held its first “Florence After 5” event this year.
The City of Florence passed an open container ordinance that allows people to buy alcohol from the downtown restaurants, and walk down the street to the event.
The alcohol is served in plastic cups for people to carry down to the main event.
Downtown Development Manager, Ray Reich, said local businesses had asked the city to look into the ordinance.
“The ordinance allows for special containers during special events only,” said Reich. “From five o’clock in the evening until eleven o’clock in the evening on night like tonight if patrons want to buy a beer, at the event, walk down the street within the designated areas, they can do that now.”
Reich said the open container applies only to beer and wine.
“State law does not allow hard liquor in public spaces,” he said.
Reich said there have never been issues with crowd control in the past.
“It’s amazing how people come out,” he said. “It’s young, old, white black, rich, poor. It’s a real melting pot of a community that comes together, and everybody just has a great time.”
He said Florence After Five has become a staple in the community.
Reich said the event used to have roughly 200 people attend, and now more than 1,000 people come to the event.
“It’s become an institution for the community,” he said. “It brings people down to experience what’s happening downtown, and of course it also drives a lot of people into the restaurants and bars after the event ends.
Florence After 5 is the last Friday of every month, and runs until October.
