Dec. 31—Unless you're out of town for a bowl game or other holiday celebration far from home, Saturday night still offers plenty to do in Cullman if ringing in the New Year is among your top-priority resolutions.
Thanks to a 2021 tweak to its standing alcohol ordinance, the City of Cullman now allows sales all the way until 2 a.m. after the clock turns over to New Year's Day for businesses that hold an alcohol license. The exception applies to both on-premises sales at restaurants as well as off-premises sales at package stores and other places in the city where beer, wine, and liquor can be bought and carried home.
Some local restaurants won't push their operating hours beyond tonight's flip of the calendar. "Our chef is doing a feature menu for New Year's Eve with three features as opposed to the typical one, and already we have guests who are excited about that with reservations filling up," explained Kelsey Moore, general manager at the All Steak. "So we'll be open for our normal hours on Saturday and closing at 10 p.m."
Just across the block, 412 Public House is set to accommodate the crowds for as long as it takes, though co-owner Stephen Gannon said there's no specific plan to throw a late-night party. "We will not shut down until the last guest leaves," he said, noting the city's after-hours cutoff time.
No matter whether your New Year's Eve plans include a beverage or two, there're plenty of places both inside and outside the city limits that aim to stay busy 'til midnight and beyond. Dreher's Cocktail Bar & Restaurant will be open late with dinner specials and New Year's-themed cocktails, while farther afield, more active (and alcohol-free) fun awaits at the Stony Lonesome OHV Park's New Year's Eve Night Ride (which begins at 8 p.m. and runs through midnight).
On New Year's Eve and all year long, stay mindful of both the law as well as your own sound judgment when it comes to operating a vehicle. Plan ahead for a cab, ride share, or designated driver if alcohol factors into your away-from-home activities, and as always, don't get behind the wheel if you've been drinking. From everyone at The Cullman Times, have a safe and happy start to the year that lies ahead.
Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.