Graham’s city council has seemingly closed the door on establishing an open-ended social drinking district in the city’s downtown. Social drinking districts have been established in Burlington, Mebane, Elon, and Gibsonville, but council members had no interest in having a regular, ongoing, weekly hours for a social district.
The council instead opted to continue its current practice of considering event-based social districts on an event-by-event basis.
The city council held a public hearing on the issue last week, after which the council voted 4-1 not to proceed with establishing a regular social district. Mayor Chelsea Dickey cast the dissenting vote.
Prior to the vote, the council heard from three residents, plus heard one written statement that had been submitted. Two residents were opposed; two supported the creation of a social district, as long as its operating hours were confined to community events held periodically in the historic downtown business district.
Linda Barnhill, 404 Forest Drive, Graham, told the council last week that she’s experienced social districts while growing up at Atlantic Beach. “One of the big things is I waded through a lot of puddles of beer, used beer. I’m concerned about children picking up leftover cups with alcoholic beverages in them; I think that could be a danger. Graham is not a college town, and we have kids coming out at the movie theater; we have families walking around a lot.”
[Story continues below photos of public speakers on whether to establish a social drinking district in Graham.
OPPOSED:
“I’m concerned about children picking up leftover cups with alcoholic beverages in them; I think that could be a danger. Graham is not a college town, and we have kids coming out at the movie theater; we have families walking around a lot.”
– lINDA BARNHILL
“If we have it, I don’t want to make it where it’s all the time. Event-driven should be the way that we go. I don’t want to be like Burlington; I don’t want to be like Mebane; I don’t want to be like Gibsonville or Elon. . . I think if we just go with during the events, everybody in Graham would not have a problem.”
– Keith Westbrook
SUPPORTS EVENT-RELATED SOCIAL DISTRICT:
“We can police it better if we have a social district. We want it only for events, so you’ve got the restrooms in place. Everything’s in place, as long as you do it, event-driven.”
– Daniel Alvis
Daniel Alvis, 1022 Noah Road, Graham, said during the public hearing, “Everybody knows I’m for having a social district. It’ll boost the economy; it’s flexibility for us. It’s already going on [at] these events anyway. It just makes it a lot easier on us business owners.
“Last month, I got a license to sell it to go just like the Quickie Mart,” said Alvis, who ran for a council seat in the November 2025 municipal election and owns Maple Street Tavern at 101 North Main Street, in addition to working with the city of Burlington. “What they do when they walk out the door with a closed beer, that’s on them. We can police it better if we have a social district. We want it only for events, so you’ve got the restrooms in place. Everything’s in place, as long as you do it, event-driven.”
Keith Westbrook of 604 Trock Wilder Court, Graham, told the council, “If we have it, I don’t want to make it where it’s all the time. Event-driven should be the way that we go. I don’t want to be like Burlington; I don’t want to be like Mebane; I don’t want to be like Gibsonville or Elon…I think if we just go with during the events, everybody in Graham would not have a problem.”
Mayor Chelsea Dickey subsequently read a written statement into the public record, which she said had been submitted by Jason Varner, who asked the council not to establish a social district. “We do not [need] beer and alcohol on the streets and sidewalks,” his statement read.
After the council closed the public hearing, Dickey expressed support for establishing a social district but with the caveat that it be event-driven. “It requires [us to] have another public hearing” in order to draft an ordinance establishing the social district, Dickey said. “Public hearings are hard, especially when it’s this vague. It’s easier for me to talk about something if I know the details of what I’m talking about. Social districts can be anything – we’re not trying to be Elon, 11:00 [a.m.] to 11:00 [p.m.] any day of the week.”
Councilman Jim Young said in his discussions with local bar owners, “most are indifferent” on the subject.
Just in talking with folks and neighbors – ‘hey what do you think about this?’—I think the majority don’t want it,” Young said. “I just don’t think it would make much difference.”
Dickey said, “I don’t think it’s a selling point of Graham. I think it’s an addition.”
[Story continues below council reaction.]
“Just in talking with folks and neighbors – ‘hey what do you think about this?’—I think the majority don’t want it,” Young said. “I just don’t think it would make much difference.”
– Graham councilman Jim Young
“I don’t think anybody needs to be walking in and out of businesses with open cups of beer. We already do alcohol at Arts Around the Square, but they don’t get to just walk in and out of businesses with open alcohol. I don’t think that’s something I want to see started here in Graham.”
– Graham council member Bonnie Whitaker
“We don’t really need a social district. We are a family-centered community, and the bars that are here in Graham, folks can sit outside the premises at tables and chairs that are there. So why do we need to designate that we are a social [drinking] district.”
– Graham councilman Bobby Chin
Council member Bonnie Whitaker said, “I don’t think anybody needs to be walking in and out of businesses with open cups of beer. We already do alcohol at Arts Around the Square, but they don’t get to just walk in and out of businesses with open alcohol. I don’t think that’s something I want to see started here in Graham.”
Councilman Bobby Chin said, “We don’t really need a social district. We are a family-centered community, and the bars that are here in Graham, folks can sit outside the premises at tables and chairs that are there. So why do we need to designate that we are a social [drinking] district.”
Mayor pro tem Ricky Hall made the motion not to proceed with the social district, which passed 4-1.
