When you think of places like Dorney Park in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, and Hersheypark in Derry Township, Dauphin County, you probably conjure up the sight of kids and young adults having fun on scary rides, engaging in games of skill and scoffing down hot dogs and sodas. These places also serve alcohol on a limited basis, and their owners and those of other amusement parks want to change the restrictions of their current license.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh, has sponsored a bill which has passed the lower house by a 199-1 vote and is now awaiting Senate approval. In shepherding the bill through the state house, Mackenzie noted that amusement parks have been pushing for this legislation for more than 10 years to give them more flexibility in serving their thirsty patrons.

He said the disparity came to his attention when Dorney Park went to court to seek to overturn the rejection by the state Liquor Control Board, which denied Dorney’s request by a 2-1 vote. Lehigh County Court, where the appeal was heard in 2020, sided with the LCB.

The rejection was disappointing, according to Jessica Naderman, Dorney’s vice president and general manager, who praised the legislative effort underway as a way to “level the playing field with what we believe are similar public venues.”

Dorney and Hershey and some of the others are licensed as restaurants under state liquor code law. “My legislation would reclassify an amusement park as a ‘public venue,’?” Mackenzie said.

“This category already exists, and amusement parks would be treated similarly to other public venues such as hotels, golf courses, ski resorts, bowling alleys, museums and science centers. This makes more sense, and it allows for the flexibility of moving concession stands to different locations throughout the season as attractions change,” Mackenzie added.

If Mackenzie’s bill is adopted, it would allow these parks to serve alcohol throughout their properties just as that which is now allowed at other public venue-licensed facilities.

Patrons can purchase and consume alcohol at nine locations presently at Dorney, including Chickie’s and Pete’s and the Chickie’s and Pete’s Sports Bar and the Oasis and Tidal Wave Café in Wildwater Kingdom. Of course, to be able to drink alcohol in Pennsylvania, a patron must be at least 21. Dorney has had a clean record of making sure that it cards all potential customers.

That lone dissenting vote in the house came from Rep. Mark Gillen, R-Berks and Lancaster, whose district is near where Dutch Wonderland amusement park is located. He is concerned that this attraction, which largely appeals to younger children, could have an issue if more than the current one venue at the park is allowed to sell alcohol.

Another concern was raised by Rep. Mary Isaacson, D-Philadelphia, and its potential effect on Sesame Place, a child-oriented amusement park near Langhorne in Bucks County.

Committee members - Chairman Carl Metzgar of Somerset County and Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford - told Isaacson her concerns were misplaced because safeguards are built into the legislation. They said the parks could control when and where alcohol sales occurred within their properties.

A key provision in the bill provides that any amusement park that seeks a “public venue” license from the LCB and already has a “restaurant” license must surrender the restaurant license to the agency, which would auction it.

The bill sets the time for the sale of alcohol in amusement parks from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The LCB did not comment on the House vote. The state Restaurant Association supports the legislation. Some of the larger amusement areas in the Poconos would benefit from the bill’s passage, too.

The Senate is expected to act favorably on the legislation, but it is unknown whether Gov. Tom Wolf will sign the bill if it gets to his desk.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.