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Talks of a downtown entertainment destination center for Winchester have been ongoing for some time. 

As it seems, hope just became a reality. 

According to a press release, the City of Winchester is pleased to announce the Downtown Winchester Entertainment Destination Center (EDC) opening. 

Approved by the Winchester Board of Commissioners in 2024, this initiative is “designed to boost local businesses and enhance the downtown experience for residents and visitors.” 

The EDC allows individuals to purchase alcoholic beverages at participating establishments and walk through the downtown area while enjoying their drinks in designated and specially marked cups. Its goals are to create a vibrant, engaging atmosphere, encourage foot traffic, and provide a unique entertainment, dining, and socialization opportunity within a safe and welcoming environment. 

It will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, March 15, at 3:00 p.m. at Engine House Pizza Pub, located at 9 W. Lexington Avenue. March 15 also is the day of Winchester’s first downtown St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl, and the EDC adds to the festive atmosphere. 

The celebration is set to include a historic toast and ribbon cutting beneath a giant rainbow, immediately followed by free Irish soda bread with a beer cheese dip, a traditional toasting contest, and a cabbage “roll.” The crawl itself then takes participants to various stops associated with the Entertainment Destination Center. 

The Entertainment Destination is set to include various attractions that can appeal to people of various interests. While enjoying the district, patrons can partake in outdoor events and explore many different offerings of downtown Winchester, including the aforementioned dining experiences and local boutiques. 

Those interested in gaining further information about the EDC, participating businesses, or planning a visit can do so at winchesterky.com/1088/Entertainment-Destination-Center or follow Downtown Winchester, KY, on Facebook. 

After introducing the EDC, Winchester has joined a growing list of cities across the Commonwealth that have adopted such an initiative. 

The Entertainment Destination Center will operate from Fridays through Sundays. Specifically, its hours of operation are from 10:00 a.m. on Friday through 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, 11:00 a.m. Saturday to 1:00 a.m. Sunday, and 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday. 

Special approvals may be requested for additional operating days. The EDC will be marked clearly with signs indicating its boundaries and permitted consumption times. 

The Entertainment Destination Center will be based downtown and include several local businesses. Further information can be gathered at http://winchesterky.com/1088/Entertainment-Destination-Center.