Springettsbury unveils America250 plans and proposes limited alcohol at select park events

Springettsbury Township’s parks and recreation staff presented an America250 semi-quincentennial program and proposed a cautious pilot to permit alcohol at selected township-sponsored park events.

Parks presenter Brandy described a monthly social media campaign, themed children’s activities and a planned finale on Aug. 19 featuring a concert, a 250-drone show with pyro drones, a headline act and community vendors. “We will be having a drone show here at the township,” she said, and noted Hollywood Casino York had committed sponsorship funds toward the event.

On alcohol policy, staff proposed using off-site liquor-license holders to manage service under Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) rules. Under the proposal, partners would file PLCB notices (minimum 14 days, commonly 30), provide insurance naming the township as additional insured, train servers, require ID checks and use wristbands and roped-off 21+ zones to prevent underage access. Brandy said, “We are not proposing that the public can bring alcohol to our park any day, any time. We are saying specific events that are in a controlled environment.”

Staff recommended starting small — a pilot at three concerts or one adult-only event — and coordinating details with the township manager, human resources, insurance and police. Supervisors expressed support for a cautious approach. “I think it’s a pretty cautious plan put forward, and I think boundaries are clearly set,” one supervisor said.

Outcome: Board members signaled support and directed staff to proceed with planning the pilot; no ordinance change was enacted at the meeting. Any event that proceeds would require PLCB filings, partner agreements, insurance verification and coordination with township police and staff.

Next steps: staff will pursue PLCB notifications as appropriate, finalize partner agreements and return with required permits or ordinance language if needed.