[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6586643,"mediaKeyId","5453259-e2ca450d9e6504f8965aae4c1b7fac6f","parentId",5453259,"title","Liquor board opens discussion on festival permits, asks staff to research county and state options","audioSeconds",1703,"startMs",3275000,"endMs",4978000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5453259-e2ca450d9e6504f8965aae4c1b7fac6f&start=3275&end=4978","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5453259-e2ca450d9e6504f8965aae4c1b7fac6f/thumbnail_3275000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6586643/Caroline-County/Maryland/Liquor-board-opens-discussion-on-festival-permits-asks-staff-to-research-county-and-state-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6586643-66924093026dc5c368862c5253cc02b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443261&Signature=Mg3qs6ElYW0D~FBTjgfqwbkrQ~0vCv5q2~Fs4Iko~jHrh9crE~UDP72yoC0981uwVgGRMEH7KrUmzeosakXwUim8sdFvBkBLlno7mLQiWdJ~qDI593EfPA6DtDmKjtPnjxuRlXszLX31cBnd8n6yFza~P-GNcC1-7M1WHnFJ~4I~TWmBLU4YmfK78sjCnS5nZQowIyFc14kP6VniGLaaGUsaTce~bXy2zRUg74fIox-B7MRQDsGufuYKYWe4SuKQp4LRuIzKSQmNGMvlpgJ2iIzS72N8n2r645udOT1ZxsyoNO3dlujDLNekPVffhDXFAEQVK9eb81sYAFSG03Kbmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Caroline","date","2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","article","The Caroline County Board of License Commissioners discussed on July 23 whether to pursue changes to state or local rules to allow retail license-holders to vend alcohol at festivals and farmers’ markets.

Background: current Maryland rules largely permit breweries, wineries and distilleries specific rights to vend at festivals, and a separate state-level “festival” or brewer/winery carve-out exists for contiguous-county operation in some licenses. Retail stores, by contrast, have no straightforward avenue under current state law to sell mixed drinks or offer festival vending except through limited or confusing paths (for example, the state’s farmers’ market language that appears to limit retailer vending to three days a year at a farmers’ market, or requirements that a liquor caterer also hold a food-caterer permit).

Discussion highlights

Robin (representing Red Light Liquors and Purple Peak as a vendor) told the board that the current structure prevents many retail stores from responding to festival invitations and that the farmers’ market allowance is too restrictive in practice (the statute’s three-day phrasing conflicts with market organizers that want vendors for an entire season). She said the state’s festival/caterer rules are inconsistent and unclear, and that retail vendors are often blocked even when they have staff trained to serve alcohol responsibly.

Board direction

Board members asked staff to compile how other Maryland counties handle festival or special-event permits (examples cited included Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City) and return with draft language the board could consider proposing at the delegation meeting in September/October. The board noted this could require a state-level legislative change to create a useful, consistent permit for retail license-holders and clarified that any county-level step would likely only allow operation within Caroline County unless enacted statewide.

Clarifying points raised

- A state-issued retail festival permit currently allows some contiguous-county operation under specific, narrow conditions and has a high annual fee option that expands in-state reach; the language and eligibility rules are often drafted to favor manufacturers (breweries, wineries, distilleries) over retail sellers.

- The board and staff discussed the practical enforcement questions a new permit would create: how vendors would account for inventory, how open containers would be policed within festival boundaries, whether food-service rules create an unintended barrier for liquor-caterer permits, and whether small-format packaging (minis) or sealed containers would reduce health-department complications.

Next steps

Staff will collect sample festival-permit language from other counties, summarize practical enforcement implications and return to the board at an upcoming meeting so commissioners can decide whether to ask the county commissioners to pursue state legislative changes in the fall session.

Ending

Board members did not take an immediate vote; they asked staff to research existing county models and draft options for the board’s August meeting and the county’s delegation meeting in the fall.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Caroline - Liquor Board (Board of License Commissioners) - Jul 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Board members and local retailers discussed gaps in Maryland festival and caterer permit rules that limit retail stores from vending at festivals; the board asked staff to gather examples from other Maryland counties and return with options for September/October legislative outreach.","taxTitle","Caroline County, Maryland","taxId",61674,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6586647,"Board grants Nazareth convenience-store license with 90-day conditions after contested hearing",3200,1818000,5018000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5453259-e2ca450d9e6504f8965aae4c1b7fac6f&start=1818&end=5018","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5453259-e2ca450d9e6504f8965aae4c1b7fac6f/thumbnail_1818000.jpg","/articles/6586647/Caroline-County/Maryland/Board-grants-Nazareth-convenience-store-license-with-90-day-conditions-after-contested-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6586647-1d82bedd263f78ddde21f0dcc6cc8ea1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443261&Signature=of~x7MdE6QE83Qs40TnMNsHCJBLhELBmYAn~COhIV9GUhlpge7ppiSwuoRpKE-wcaVOiZFF4hFcCMaFIJd9Q~ARMWnBWq68JWgz~S9R3nK1TlkX-uitCiSFimMbZQHJ9jzT9jW5Brd0XNjqUOBJuPEqKUzff6FmZCWzZ6EWwmKQL2RDFyVKPPRiG79-V2~IOp0fNwdqX7S7AWRB-AmjwtbDCULgb1f8iI3e78Q8Ux83DGFOG3t1JXbfK0dVQxXWdUi-WbqSj2f6tuC5LRsPxuAYM-gnGmZQmvs3QY9JLLw0ir9ApfvMXTmZkyYEGBCTfr70AtZYap0CyyyBH0C6V8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Caroline County Board of License Commissioners approved on July 23 a new Class A beer-and-wine off-premise alcoholic beverage license for 501 Maryland Avenue LLC, trading as Nazareth, but attached a time-limited condition and clear limits on the licensed premises.

The board’s approval limited the license to the store’s first-floor retail area and explicitly excluded the second-floor storage and an adjacent repair-shop area. Commissioners required the applicant to correct outstanding items listed in the staff report — including final occupancy approval from the town, fire marshal sign-off, health department food and beverage permits (for prepared foods), proof of workers’ compensation insurance, sales-and-use tax registration, and alcohol-awareness (TIP) certifications — within 90 days of the approval.

Why it matters: The decision permits a new retail seller of packaged beer and light wine to operate in Federalsburg (Bloomingdale Avenue), addressing local demand cited by the applicant while imposing controls designed to limit on-site consumption and ensure public safety.

What the board heard

Applicant testimony: Mohammed Faizon Ullah (applicant) and Mohammed Arafullah (owner/operator with prior local convenience-store experience) described the business as a convenience store with fuel sales and takeout/prepared foods. They told the board the business model reflects 25 years of family experience serving customers who commonly requested beer and light wine at the previous location across the street.

Attorney statement: Counsel for the applicant said the board previously granted approval in September 2024 but that the project was delayed while the applicant completed building renovations and sought town and inspector approvals. He summarized the applicant’s experience and said criminal-background checks were clean.

Opposition: Hitesh Patel, operator of Wet Your Whistle across Bloomingdale Avenue, testified he opposed an additional nearby license, saying prior investments and recent declines in several retail revenue streams (gasoline, cigarette and liquor sales) left him concerned that a new, closely located retail license would hurt his business.

Board findings and conditions

- The board determined the applicant met the statutory fitness checks: background checks were clear, the applicant is a Maryland resident and at least 21, and LLC paperwork was on file pending final legal sufficiency.

- The board corrected a clerical discrepancy on the application form: the record now shows the applicant sought beer-and-wine retail (Class A beer and light wine), not a full beer, wine and liquor license; the board limited approval accordingly.

- The board explicitly limited the approved licensed premises to the store’s first-floor retail area. It excluded the repair-shop area, any second-floor storage/occupancy space and any outside premise area where on-site consumption would be possible. The license is an off-premise retail license (sales to be taken away and consumed elsewhere).

- The board approved the license on condition that all outstanding items in the staff report be completed within 90 days (fire marshal and town occupancy permit, health department approvals for food service where applicable, TIP certificates, workers’ compensation insurance, sales-and-use tax registration and any required Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau registration). If applicants cannot complete those items within 90 days, they must return to the board to request an extension.

Direct quotes

\"Yes, sir. Everything's correct,\" applicant Mohammed Faizon Ullah said when asked whether the application information remained accurate.

\"The wristband is to verify... that they're ID'd over 21,\" Tracy Snyder told the board earlier in the meeting describing wristband controls for a different event.

\"If they have the same license, I'm gonna be drop down my business,\" Hitesh Patel said of the potential impact of a nearby retail license.

Votes and outcome

A motion to approve the new Class A beer-and-wine 7-day off-premise license (limited to the first-floor retail area and excluding the repair-shop area, second floor and any outside premise) carried by voice vote. The board set a 90-day administrative window to satisfy staff-report items; unresolved items require a return to the board.

Ending

The board’s approval permits Nazareth to sell packaged beer and light wine from its new Bloomingdale Avenue convenience store once the outstanding inspections and registrations are completed and recorded with the board. The board also recorded community objections from a nearby license-holder and limited the license area to reduce the risk of on-site consumption.","The Caroline County Board approved a new Class A beer-and-wine off-premise license for 501 Maryland Avenue LLC (trading as Nazareth) for its Bloomingdale Avenue convenience store, limiting the license to the first-floor retail area and requiring outstanding town/state occupancy and permitting items to be resolved within 90 days.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6586652,"Caroline County licensing board approves several temporary event permits, a premise extension and a license transfer",28,362000,390000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5453259-e2ca450d9e6504f8965aae4c1b7fac6f&start=362&end=390","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5453259-e2ca450d9e6504f8965aae4c1b7fac6f/thumbnail_362000.jpg","/articles/6586652/Caroline-County/Maryland/Caroline-County-licensing-board-approves-several-temporary-event-permits-a-premise-extension-and-a-license-transfer","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6586652-5e817532ab3ec9cfb39e170d925a012b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443262&Signature=C8sOuRxeBC5nPAz6ZQsrT2gk7GZByRdG8aZbFelTWCDMWydHXBccjpl8706cB-BNkcZLz6BLHw4j8yBY5JBp9tjjDcOnRRDt-6ct~f0rxZ13dQINhtzkpYvyY7k1zESrvsfuT-1yt2YtcMxI5IzE2~1fJy-Ulb5Fe1frWZy7VjiOqx73Ol~UV192wtTKt7nPKlL1~PLqd4tAoXZ0B2MwaO833vijVaxiosk9YgeZFjTDhp2qygeET-KGT4O3kpr9-5z0WzNhUYp5c4zUvqMrR2A9l6bPvfQ4Ue7autpoCKb-i-0CASo0vixNjY2E5ITEqcgZWDxBg8ZDB0jwsi7iYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Caroline County Board of License Commissioners on July 23 approved a series of event permits, a one-day licensed-premise extension and a transfer of an off-premise alcoholic beverage license.

The approvals covered: two temporary Chamber of Commerce licenses (a fundraiser called Love for Lisa and a tasting at Mactoberfest), the Town of Greensboro annual Car Show and Music Fest, the Caroline-Dorchester County Fair, a one-day 60-foot extension of the licensed serving area at the Choptank River Yacht Club for an 80th birthday event, and the transfer of a Class A (off-premise) beer, wine and liquor license for a Ridgeley retail outlet. The board made all approvals by voice vote at the meeting; each motion was moved, seconded and accepted by a recorded “aye” vote.

Why it matters: the approvals allow community fundraising and seasonal events to proceed with alcohol service under board oversight, and the transfer keeps an established retail alcohol business operating under new ownership pending standard post-approval conditions.

Votes at a glance

- “Love for Lisa” fundraiser (Caroline County Chamber of Commerce): approved. Event set for Aug. 9, 3 p.m.–10 p.m., at the Calborn in Denton; alcohol service to be inside with wristbands and ID checks. Motion moved and seconded; board approved by voice vote.

- Mactoberfest tasting (Caroline County Chamber of Commerce): approved for beer and wine tasting only on Oct. 25, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., at 512 Franklin St. The board declined to approve a broader “liquor” tasting in this application; tasting was limited to two samples per person and supervised by TIP-certified staff and a licensed distributor serving wine. Motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.

- Town of Greensboro Car Show and Music Fest: approved. One-day event Aug. 30, 12 p.m.–6 p.m., cash bar at the fire hall/community area; applicants were advised about county and state requirements for large music festivals. Motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.

- Caroline-Dorchester County Fair: approved. Fair to run multiple days beginning in August with beer cash bar operations from 6 p.m.–11 p.m.; the fair board confirmed wristband procedures and on-premise controls. Motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.

- Choptank River Yacht Club premise extension: approved. One-day temporary extension of approximately 60 feet for alcohol service at an Aug. 9 event for Joe Smith; barricades, signage and wristbands were described as control measures. Motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.

- Transfer of Tri Me Warehouse license (Ridgeley): approved. Transfer of the Class A (off-premise) beer, wine and liquor license was approved to Abhaji Ridgeley Corp (will continue trading as Tri Me Warehouse) with conditions to clear outstanding state registration and tax items within 90 days. Motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote.

What the approvals require next

For several approvals the board listed follow-up conditions or outstanding administrative items: health department approvals where required, fire marshal/occupancy sign-offs for premises under renovation, alcohol-awareness (TIP) certifications, bulk-transfer paperwork where inventory is changing hands, worker’s compensation and business licensing, and, in the case of transfers or new licenses, state tax and registration items that must be resolved within a limited time.

Notable comments

Tracy Snyder, representing the Chamber of Commerce, described wristband and ID procedures and told the board the Love for Lisa fundraiser would be fully inside with controlled entry (\"The wrist band is to verify... that they're ID'd over 21\"). For Mactoberfest she said the tasting would be limited to two samples per person and that wine service would be coordinated with a licensed distributor.

David Whaley described the Choptank River Yacht Club plan to push its serving area seaward for an on-site birthday celebration and said the club would use barricades, tape and wristbands to control access.

Board procedure and enforcement

Board members repeatedly emphasized that approvals were conditioned on applicants meeting outstanding items in the staff report and on the board’s continued oversight. Where applicants reported ongoing inspections or permits pending with town or state officials, the board approved with time-limited conditions and noted applicants could request extensions if they could not meet deadlines.

Ending

The board concluded the licensing portion of the agenda before moving into a policy discussion about festival permits. Several approvals were unanimous by voice vote. For each approved license, applicants must complete the administrative items listed in the staff report before the license is fully issued or the transfer is finalized.","The Caroline County Board of License Commissioners approved temporary licenses for two Chamber of Commerce events, a town car show/music festival, the Caroline-Dorchester County Fair, a one-day premise extension for the Choptank River Yacht Club and a transfer of a retail off-premise license during its July 23, 2025 meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Liquor board opens discussion on festival permits, asks staff to research county and state options

Board grants Nazareth convenience-store license with 90-day conditions after contested hearing

Caroline County licensing board approves several temporary event permits, a premise extension and a license transfer