'Drunksgiving': For bars, police, the night before Thanksgiving means big business

LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) – As millions of Americans get ready for Thanksgiving dinner, bars across the country were packed Wednesday.

For local watering holes, the night before the holiday is one of the year's biggest. Tin Roof in St. Matthews expected a crowd of 500.

General Manager Tanner Huddleston said it's "one of the crazier days of the year."

“Our Thanksgiving Eve slogan has kind of been ... that we shoot fireball not turkey,” Huddleston said.

Huddleston and other bar managers are banking on people home for the holidays who want to let loose and have a good time.

Extra security and bartenders are being added to Tin Roof for a night often known as “Drunksgiving” or "Blackout Wednesday.”

A heated tent in the parking lot accommodated the overflow crowd.

The crowds also mean extra police presence. The St. Matthews Police Department told WDRB it plans to have a full staff and officers on standby until 4 a.m.

Officer Vadim Dale said he hoped the big police presence would deter bad behavior.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more people die from drunk driving crashes on Thanksgiving eve than New Year’s Eve.

O’Shea’s General Manager Joe Early said he expected Wednesday's business to rival the crowds he sees during the Kentucky Derby.

“You get a lot of people that haven’t seen each other for a while, so I think everybody just uses that as a time to catch up,” Early said.

Some of the bars throughout greater Louisville that usually close at 2 a.m. planned to stay open until 4 a.m., but will be closed the rest of the holiday.