Stallings adding alcohol to summer parks & rec lineup

STALLINGS – Stallings Parks & Recreation is adding alcohol to a couple of its summer events to attract more adults. 

Stallings doesn’t allow alcohol at town-sponsored special events; however, the council may allow exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Parks & Recreation Director Eunice McSwain obtained exceptions for Third Thursday Trivia and Backyard BBQ.

“We don’t really reach that adult crowd in the park,” McSwain said. “We do a lot of stuff that is family-focused throughout the year. It really pertains to young children. So this year we really wanted to look into doing something that was more tailored to adults.”

Parks & Recreation will debut Third Thursday Trivia from June to September. A section of Stallings Municipal Park will be barricaded for ages 21 and older from 5 to 7:30 p.m. similar to the town’s concert series.

“It’s essentially like a happy hour for adults,” McSwain told the Stallings Town Council. “This isn’t going to be a crazy party or anything in the park.”

The town is also cooking up a Backyard BBQ event for July 7. McSwain said this will be more relaxed than barbecue events of the past.

McSwain said her department is working with police, the town’s liability insurance provider and reputable alcohol vendors to ensure these events are safe. They are also focused on details like appropriate signage, parking attendants and proper staffing.

Mayor Wyatt Dunn wondered if the town could charge alcohol vendors to be onsite for these events. He encouraged McSwain to see what other towns, like Matthews, do for similar events. 

Stallings will not be doing a summer concert series this year.

“What we found last year with the summer concert series, we put a lot of money towards it and we didn’t see this huge turnout that we expected,” McSwain said. “So we’re kind of pouring that into this Backyard BBQ event and open it up to alcohol sales.”