An outdoor entertainment district could be coming to Summerville

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCIV) — People could eventually be allowed to walk through parts of downtown Summerville with a beer or glass of wine in hand under a proposal now heading to Town Council.

The Town of Summerville is considering creating an Outdoor Entertainment District in its downtown business area. Under the proposal, people would be able to purchase alcohol from participating businesses and carry it through designated parts of downtown in approved cups.

The goal is to encourage people to spend more time downtown and support local shops and restaurants, Summerville mayor Russ Touchberry said.

“It’s really intended to create an atmosphere where folks want to linger and spend time in Summerville,” Touchberry said. “It’s really just to get them out of the bars and restaurants and into our shops and create some momentum for our shops downtown.”

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The idea has been discussed for years, but recently gained momentum as the town looks for ways to support local businesses and use public gathering spaces downtown. The proposal was advanced by the town’s Parks and Recreation Committee and is now expected to go before full council.

The district would not allow people to bring their own alcohol downtown, said Touchberry. Drinks would have to be purchased from approved vendors inside the district and served in approved containers. Businesses would also be able to opt in or out of participating.

“This is not something that you could bring down here yourself,” Touchberry said. “This is something that you would have to purchase and it would have to be in an approved container from one of our approved vendors in the district.”

Some business owners say the proposal could help bring more foot traffic to small shops.

Yvonne Ouellette, owner of Yo’s Crafty Place, said downtown events like Third Thursday already bring more people to Main Street and help local businesses stay open later.

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“There’s more people out and about,” Ouellette said. “All the businesses stay open until eight, so there’s a lot of activity within the town.”

Ouellette said small businesses rely on that kind of foot traffic, especially stores that are not directly on the main stretch.

“Our little mom-and-pop shops are the heart of our town,” she said. “They’re the heart of our community.”

Supporters believe an entertainment district could help create that same energy more often, while others have raised concerns about whether allowing open containers fits Summerville’s small-town character. Touchberry said the town would continue gathering input before any final decision is made.

“It really depends on what the council wants to do with it,” Touchberry said. “This could go on for many months or it could be a quicker final vote.”

The proposal is expected to be discussed by full Town Council next week.