During the July 6 Sunbury Village Council meeting, Big Walnut Civic Association members Cindy Erndt and Theresa Dronsfield asked council members to extend the hours of the outdoor beer garden at this year’s Aug. 27 Sunbury Sizzle & Sounds event.

Council members approved a 2 p.m. opening for the Sunbury Sizzle & Sounds beer garden, and also noted that this year’s beer garden would expand to the Cherry Street right of way.

“The first year we had 3,000 people attend, last year 15,000 people,” Dronsfield said.

Erndt said this year’s Sunbury Sizzle & Sounds will have more police officers on duty, and beer garden ID checks have been tightened.

“It’s not about beer per se, but it is the biggest moneymaker of the event,” Erndt said.

Dronsfield said everyone working in the beer garden takes a class before the event to ensure there are few problems.

“We have last call at 10:30, and close at 11,” Dronsfield said. “Given the size of the crowd we had last year, we had very few issues.”

Sunbury Mayor Tommy Hatfield said the Sunbury Police Department will have nine officers covering Sizzle & Sounds, and there would be two Delaware County Sheriff’s Department undercover officers monitoring the beer garden, and two additional undercover officers from state liquor control.

For additional information about the 2016 Sunbury Sizzle & Sounds and live music schedules, go to sunburysizzleandsounds.com, or on Facebook search for Sunbury Sizzle & Sounds.