A Lamar County wedding and event venue is filing for an on-premise retailer permit that would allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in the otherwise dry county, making the facility the seventh in the county that has either recently obtained or is in the process of receiving the permit.
The officers of Dogwood Venue at 4244 Mississippi 589 in Sumrall recently announced its intent to file with the Mississippi Department of Revenue.
Representatives from the venue declined to comment on the matter, pending receipt of the permit.
Because Lamar County is considered a “dry county,” the sale, possession, or consumption of alcohol is prohibited, except within the Hattiesburg city limits.
Under provisions of Mississippi Code 67-1-5, areas can apply for a special “resort area” status from the department of revenue’s Alcoholic Beverage Control that would permit alcohol on the grounds. The section states sites can apply for the status if the area and its related property consists of at least 8,000 heated and
cooled square feet, is used to host events for a fee, and is used for the purpose of culinary arts and/or outdoor recreation and leadership courses.
Individuals or business seeking the status are required to make the application to the ABC, at which point officials from that department would come inspect the property to determine whether it met those standards.
Currently, three locations in Lamar County have qualified resort area status: Canebrake Country Club, Longleaf Plantation and The Barn at Bridlewood. Little Black Creek Campground and Park recently inquired about the status, as has St. Fabian Catholic Church.
Officials from Conway’s Family Pub on West 4th Street have made additions to their facility to meet the provision of the code, and expect to reopen the establishment with a permit in the coming weeks. The pub suspended operations in January pending the permit, with owners saying they had struggled over the previous month because of the exclusion of alcohol sales.
