Sunbury's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area is new this fall. It runs every day from noon to 9 p.m. across the historic town square and the four streets around it, and it shuts off for the five events that draw the biggest crowds. Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Sizzle and Sounds and Christmas on the Square are exactly the nights when it doesn't apply. The district was designed for a regular Tuesday at 6:30, and that changes how the square works for the other 360 or so days of the year.
From First Reading to First Pour in About Nine Weeks
The process moved quickly. Sunbury City Council gave the DORA ordinance its first reading on July 1 and its second on July 15. On August 5, at the third reading, council passed Ordinance No. 2026.20 by a 7–0 vote and approved an emergency clause by the same margin.
Next came the state. Delaware Source reported on September 4 that the Ohio Division of Liquor Control had signed off that Wednesday, September 2. The city had its boundary signs in hand and expected the official cups to arrive Thursday. City Manager Daryl Hennessy described the final push this way:
"We're working with the [Delaware County] Chamber of Commerce, [and] the chamber is working with the local businesses to try to activate the DORA this weekend."
Council minutes from September 2 named Friday, September 4 as the start date. That same weekend showed how the schedule works. Labor Day Monday was already on the blackout list, so even with the district up and running, no DORA drinks were allowed during the Labor Day Market.
The Draft Was a Weekend Plan. The Final Version Runs Every Day.
The clearest sign of who the DORA is for comes from comparing the draft with the version council approved. The ordinance text in the July 1 council packet limited the district to Thursday through Sunday, 2 to 9 p.m., with three blackout events. The plan that went forward opened it to all seven days, starting at noon, and added two more blackout events. NBC4's coverage of the vote reported the same daily noon-to-9 window.
| July 1 draft | Adopted plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | Thursday through Sunday | Every day |
| Hours | 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Noon to 9 p.m. |
| Blackout events | Three | Five |
Over those nine weeks, the plan moved toward more ordinary hours and away from big festival nights. It gained a Monday lunch window and two more blackout events. The plan also lets City Council approve a temporary suspension or extension for special events in the district, so a big night can be handled one event at a time.
Four Streets, One Lawn and a Cup That Stays Outside
The boundary is small enough to walk in a few minutes. It covers the square itself, the sidewalks around it, and both sides of East Granville Street, South Vernon Street, East Cherry Street and Columbus Street. The inside of Town Hall and the Municipal Building is excluded. So are the public and private parking lots nearby, which matters because a lot is often the first place people head when they leave.
The cup rules are specific:
- The drink has to be bought from a participating DORA-designated permit holder.
- It has to be served in a single-use DORA cup made of plastic, compostable or recyclable material, no larger than 16 ounces, and branded directly or with an approved label.
- No bringing your own alcohol.
- No carrying an open DORA cup into another licensed business or into a vehicle.
- No carrying it past the boundary.
The Restaurants Already on the Square Set the Real Hours
The city's application lists four qualifying liquor permit holders inside the district: Firehouse Tavern, District 13, Branch Pizza and Surve. The Delaware Gazette reported in June that all four had expressed interest. NBC4 noted after the vote that the businesses "may choose" to take part. The public record doesn't yet confirm which of the four have opted in, so look for DORA cups at the counter before you plan a walk.
On any given night, each restaurant's own hours shape the DORA window as much as the city's noon-to-9 rule does:
- Surve, 6 E. Cherry St., lists Monday through Saturday hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is closed Sunday, so its share of the window ends an hour before the district does.
- District 13, 45 E. Granville St., serves until 8 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday, 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
- Branch Pizza, 34 S. Vernon St., is open until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
- Firehouse Tavern, 38 S. Vernon St., keeps its kitchen open until 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 p.m. on weekends, with the bar open later.
Hours change, so check each restaurant's site before you go. As listed now, the latest weeknight DORA drink is a 9 p.m. question, while dinner at Firehouse Tavern can keep going past it.
October 10 Shows How the Schedule Plays Out
Carts, Canopies & Candy on Saturday, October 10 is the first big fall evening on the square under the new rules, and it isn't on the blackout list. The city calendar lists it on the Historic Sunbury Town Square from 6 to 10 p.m., with trunk-or-treating from 6 to 8 p.m. at vendor booths and decorated golf carts, plus a golf cart decorating contest with prizes. The same page thanks District 13, Surve, Firehouse Tavern and Branch Pizza as community partners.
The night shares the square with the Sunbury Farmers Market's Sunset Market on the Square Autumn Finale. The market says this is a do-over. Its last Sunset Market was canceled after an intense storm left vendors with damaged tents, equipment and merchandise, and the organizers are calling October 10 "our second chance at the Sunset Market." The market has been on the square since 2005. This year it moved to a series of Second Saturday markets, and October 10 closes the season.
Check the timing before you go. The city's event page lists 6 to 10 p.m., but the September 15 Events and Commemorations Committee agenda lists the evening market from 5 to 9 p.m. The DORA's regular hours end at 9 p.m., and the plan says Council can extend operations for a special event. Unless the city announces an extension for October 10, the regular rules end DORA cups at 9 even if the market keeps going.
The golf carts in the parade follow their own set of rules. Under the city's golf cart ordinance, carts and other low-speed vehicles may drive on Sunbury streets posted at 35 mph or less and may cross faster roads. Street use requires a local title, a $20 Sunbury Police inspection, proof of insurance and ownership, and a valid driver's license. A street-legal cart carries a license plate, minimum Ohio liability insurance, the required lights and safety equipment, and a police inspection sticker. The DORA rules, for their part, bar taking an open cup into a vehicle.
One week earlier, on Saturday, October 3, the Smokin' Hot Wing & Music Fest comes to Freedom Park, 830 State Route 61 North, from noon to 9 p.m. It's the event's fourth year and its first in Sunbury. It benefits the Smokin' Hot Hearts Foundation, and city meeting minutes said Sunbury was chosen "due to its growth and strong event culture." Freedom Park is well outside the four-street DORA boundary, so festival drinks there are handled separately.
The adopted plan puts the DORA's routine weekday hours in the record: every day, noon to 9 p.m., four streets, one cup of no more than 16 ounces.
Our team pays attention to changes like this because they shape everyday life on the square, from a weeknight pizza on South Vernon to a Second Saturday market with the cart parade. If you've ever wondered how changes around the square show up in what your own home is worth, the Linda Rano Jonard Team is happy to walk you through it. Request a Free Home Valuation & Consultation, and we'll keep it as easygoing as a stroll around the square.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
