Online petition tries to stop Kennywood from selling beer

PITTSBURGH — A petition has been started to stop recently approved beer sales at Kennywood.

Following a public hearing earlier this month, West Mifflin council approved a liquor license transfer for the park's owner, Festival Fun Park LLC, whose parent company is based in Madrid, Spain, to the amusement park from a closed McKeesport restaurant property the company owns.

If the license transfer gets approval from the state Liquor Control Board, beer would be sold in a designated location in the park, starting in late June, Kennywood spokesman Jeff Filicko said.

In a statement, Filicko said, "Our plans to establish a beer garden will be done in a responsible manner that will maintain our family-friendly atmosphere. Kennywood would be just one of many family-friendly venues that cater to children and families while offering beer to responsible adults. We plan to offer the sale and consumption of beer in one specific area to ensure a controlled and family-friendly environment. As always, the safety of our guests and team members will be our main priority."

The park sold beer for the first time in October during two weekends of Oktoberfest-themed events, using a catering event permit from Sandcastle Water Park in West Homestead, which Festival Fun also owns.

Following positive responses from guests at those events and increased requests over the years, Kennywood decided to sell beer regularly, Filicko said.

Beer would be sold through the summer season, which ends in September, he said. Sales would also be designated to a gated area.

“Families aren’t going to see people roaming around the park,” Filicko said. “Drinking beer will be confined in a small area. We’re not going to change the family-friendly atmosphere.”

The announcement has been met by mixed emotions by Pittsburghers.

An online petition, started by Cynthia Tello, states, "Kennywood is for families and children, not drunken parents or young adults who are going to spend their day away from their families, drinking. It could have a bad influence on the children, and there will always be the possibility of drunkards running around this amusement park getting themselves hurt on rides, and driving home drunk, endangering others leaving the park, or anybody else who is on the road. Being drunk also influences violence, and do we really need that at an amusement park? This would ruin the greatest thing about Kennywood; spending time with your family. There are plenty of other places to purchase alcoholic beverages, we don't need them at Kennywood."

Kennywood officials said everything people have grown to love about the amusement park is going to stay the same, especially the family-friendly environment.

Kennywood opens to the public May 5.

Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE contributed to this report.

WPXI