(Batesville, IN) – The City of Batesville’s Main Street Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area – also known as the “Main Street DORA” – will officially open on May 1.
The Main Street DORA was established in February 2024 when Batesville City Council adopted an ordinance allowing the program to move ahead.
Within the Main Street DORA, patrons 21 and older can purchase alcoholic beverages at a properly licensed bar and/or restaurant and leave the premises with two beverages, provided they are in approved DORA Containers. This will allow patrons to enjoy their beverages within the confines of the Main Street DORA.
Retail and other establishments will be able to welcome guests into their store, property, or venue with their beverages.
Batesville Main Street says DORAs throughout the country have proven to be a catalyst for community bonding, increased events, and economic vitality creating a unique social and memorable experience for downtowns. As a reminder, patrons cannot consume alcohol within the district unless it is purchased at an approved bar or restaurant and patrons cannot bring alcoholic beverages into the district.
Since the ordinance was approved in February, Batesville Main Street has been actively preparing for the official DORA opening. Over the next few weeks, you will see some changes in the downtown area to support the opening. This includes new signage indicating the boundaries of the Main Street DORA; signs indicating which bars and restaurants have received DORA permits, and signage indicating whether a store, business, or property allows patrons to enter with their beverages.
Residents are urged to be on the lookout for other promotional and educational materials from the City of Batesville and Batesville Main Street explaining how the DORA operates and general guidelines on rules and regulations within the Main Street DORA.
The first event scheduled to occur within the Main Street DORA is the Mainopoly Pub Crawl on Friday, May 10.
In addition to the Pub Crawl, the week of May 6 will be a filled with events and activities in downtown Batesville, including:
● Main Street will host its annual Mainopoly Event, which spans that entire week.
● May 11 – the annual Touch-A-Truck event hosted at the Romweber parking lot, and Dr Jon’s Comedy Hypnosis Show at the Gibson Theater.
● All if these events run simultaneously with the annual Kiwanis downtown carnival that week.
For more information about the Main Street DORA or the ordinance, please contact the City of Batesville or visit their website under “Discover Batesville.”
The website will be updated with DORA specifics on May 1 in conjunction with the official opening.
