Grab a drink & walk the streets in Manteo's downtown ‘social district’

MANTEO, N.C. — The Town of Manteo has approved a social district with a unanimous April 5 vote by its board of commissioners.

Downtown Manteo will have a designated area where people can walk the streets with open, to-go containers of alcoholic beverages from participating businesses, effective immediately.

The Manteo Downtown Social District boundaries are shown in the map below:

Town on Manteo

The social district will operate seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

A cup can hold no more than 16 ounces of an alcoholic beverage, with glass containers prohibited, according to the regulations.

Cups must also contain a sticker designating where the person purchased the alcohol, and they must include a message to drink responsibly and noting that the legal drinking age is 21.

Social District Requirements

The social district must meet the following requirements under North Carolina law:

• An alcoholic beverage purchased for consumption in the social district must be consumed in the social district.
• An alcoholic beverage purchased for consumption in the social district must be disposed of before exiting the social district unless entering a business within the social district that allows alcoholic beverages to be brought inside the business.

ABC Permittte Requirements 

The following rules are for ABC Permittte Requirements - A permittee located and selling alcoholic beverages within the social district must meet the following requirements under North Carolina law.  The permittee must:

• only sell and serve alcoholic beverages on its licensed premises.
• only sell alcoholic beverages for consumption in a container that meets all of the following requirements:           

1. The container clearly identifies the permittee from which the alcoholic beverage was purchased.
2. The container clearly displays a sticker that is unique to the social district in which it will be consumed.
3. The container is not comprised of glass.         
4. The container displays, in no less than 12- point font, the statement, "Drink Responsibly - Be 21."                     
5. The container shall not hold more than 16 fluid ounces. 

Patron Requirements 

The following rules are for patron requirements - The possession and consumption of an alcoholic beverage in a social district is subject to all of the following requirements of North Carolina law:

• Only alcoholic beverages purchased from a permittee located in the social district my be possessed and consumed.
• Alcoholic beverages must only be in designated social district  containers.
• Alcoholic beverages must only be possessed and consumed during the days and hours set by the Town:  seven days a week, 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

• A single patron cannot be sold or delivered alcoholic beverages drinks in excess of:

  1. Not more than two alcoholic beverage drinks at one time if any of the following:  beer or wine.
  2. Not more than one alcoholic beverage at one time if an alcoholic beverage drink contains liquor.
  

• A person must dispose of any alcoholic beverage before exiting the social district unless entering a business within the social district that allows alcoholic beverages to be brought inside the business.