Kennett Square is raising a frothy glass to the beer town reputation it is gaining across the state. That’s because for the bedroom community the buzzed downtown cheers come without the jeers of illicit behavior.

“This is not college-town drinking,” Mayor Matt Fetick said in a Daily Local News report by Fran Maye. “… We haven’t had to add one police officer — not one — and not one dollar spent because of any (beer) event. As a former West Chester police officer, working in that town with 27 liquor licenses just in the central business district, I know what drinking and carrying on is, and we don’t have that problem.”

What Kennett Square does have is a full roster of pro-beer celebrations: “Brewfest, where tickets sell for up to $75, Winterfest, the Mushroom Festival, a Victory Brewing Co. Street Party, Cinco de Mayo and even the Kennett Run, where brew flows freely for anyone over age 21 after the race,” the article stated. “… Beer stations were even set up for last year’s Music in the Park.”

After all, the Kennett Square Borough Council opened the taps with ordinances permitting craft brew operations and permits for beer gardens, and event organizers have been careful to arrange for extra policing and designated drivers. Fetick said there’s not been a single beer-related arrest at Brewfest in seven years. And the events raise tens of thousands of dollars for good causes.

“There is responsible drinking (at the festivals and events),” he noted in the article. “Quite honestly, I don’t care if we become known as a small town brewery and as a destination for people to come and drink beer. As long as it is done responsibly, I am in support of it.”

Read more about Kennett Square’s beer-drinking reputation in the Daily Local News here, and check out other newsmaking events in the borough on VISTA Today here.