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Nashville’s Metro Council Approves Bill Allowing Alcohol Once Again on Party Buses — But They Must Be Enclosed

Nashville’s transportainment saga continues, this time with a follow-up bill that would allow permitting for BYOB onboard the slew of parties on wheels

Nashville’s “party barge” cruises the streets, an extended cab pickup with a bed decorated like a boat. Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

In Nashville Metro Council’s final 2021 meeting on Tuesday night, the Council approved a new bill that will allow alcohol once again on Music City’s party buses and other transportainment vehicles. Vehicles that are “enclosed” (according to Metro that means plexiglass), may now apply for “bring your own beer” permits from the Beer Board.

This is a quick decision following the Council’s implementation of new restrictions on December 1 that banned booze on any unenclosed vehicles — including everything from the party tractor and the party fire truck to the party pontoon boat, and all of the other bachelorette party-filled, road-congesting party buses that crawl downtown Nashville streets day and night on weekends.

In October, Metro Council voted on its first-ever regulations for the transportainment industry — banning alcohol on unenclosed transportainment vehicles after a Michigan man was hospitalized in after being run over when he fell off of a moving party bus in July. The new follow-up bill allows vehicles to obtain permits only after they have been enclosed with plexiglass and receive approval.

Pedal taverns are not affected by the recent alcohol bans and follow-up bills.