The Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival will offer alcohol for the first time at its 44th annual event this weekend.
Event organizer Kathryn Lehman said participants will be able to buy several types of beer and wine at two small areas at the festival, which will be Saturday and Sunday downtown at Northeast First Street and the Thomas Center lawn.
The festival will sell alcohol at the event to put the money raised toward scholarships offered to Santa Fe College students, Lehman said.
“It’s an opportunity to help, as funding issues have changed,” she said. “That’s our eye on the prize.”
Serving alcohol at outdoor events on public property goes against a city ordinance, so special approval from the Gainesville City Commission was required to do so.
City Commissioner Lauren Poe said it’s not uncommon for organizers of large outdoor events to request an exception to the ordinance.
The purpose of the process, he said, is to check the outdoor environment where the alcohol will be offered.
“Large events are a bit unusual, so that’s why we tend to consider it on a case-by-case basis,” Poe said. “We want to make sure it’s still family friendly.”
City staff is drafting ordinances that would change the outdoor alcohol sales ordinance to make the special events permits process easier.
Contact Kelcee Griffis at kgriffis@alligator.org.
