Thirsty Thursdays in Chapel Hill just got more civic-minded.

Town planners are hoping to involve a younger crowd in Chapel Hill 2020, the town’s long-term development plan, by setting up a series of Thursday night Tavern Talks at local bars where citizens can socialize while discussing issues like transportation and sustainability.

The first two Tavern Talk events will occur simultaneously tonight at Kildare’s and West End Wine Bar.

But students have questioned whether the events will actually succeed at improving participation among young people.

Megan Wooley, the town’s housing and neighborhood services planner, said the majority of people who have been attending Chapel Hill 2020 meetings have been of an older demographic.

“We haven’t had a proportional representation at those meetings,” she said.

Kildare’s marketing specialist Natasha Wilson said she believes there is a need for fun, discussion-based events to attract young people to the planning process.

Wilson said she has attended planning meetings and thinks there needs be an alternative forum for input for young adults.

“I don’t think that it’s represented as well as it should be,” she said.

According to the 2010 Census, almost one third of the town’s population is between the ages of 20 and 34 — and Wooley said she doesn’t want the opinions of those residents to be missed.

But she added that serving the needs of students, who only live in the town for four years, can be challenging.

Former Mayor and Chapel Hill 2020 co-chairwoman Rosemary Waldorf said she hopes the new forum will bridge the gap to the younger demographic.

“We know that some people just don’t like to come to meetings,” she said.

Waldorf said the comments made at Tavern Talks will be documented and the feedback will be given to stakeholders.

Woolen said the locations were chosen because of their proximity to campus.

But some student said that even if the talks are held at bars they frequent, they won’t attend the planning discussions.

Senior Melissa Kozoman said she enjoys going to Kildare’s but probably won’t attend Thursday night’s discussion.

“I’m not going to be (in Chapel Hill) that much longer,” she said.

Junior Heather Farthing said she has gone to both West End and Kildare’s and would consider going if she had the time.

Farthing also said she had never heard of The Crunkleton — one of the Tavern Talks locations the town has chosen.

And West End Wine Bar manager Kevin Eastin said his bar usually attracts an older demographic — the majority of his customers who arrive before 9 p.m. are in their sixties and seventies, he said.

Eastin said he hopes Thursday’s event will change this.

“I think on the night of the event, we may see some faces that are new, and some that we haven’t seen in a while,” he said.

Sandra Freeman, who is the event coordinator for Bailey’s Sports Grille in Rams Plaza, said Tavern Talks aren’t the first instance of discussion groups using a laid-back bar atmosphere to attract a younger audience.

Though it hasn’t been chosen to host Tavern Talks, the sports bar has hosted other discussion-based events — including UNC’s Newman Catholic Student Center’s Theology on Tap and science research discussion groups.

Freeman said hosting events which appeal to a younger demographic are good for business because they attract publicity.

“It definitely gets our name out there, that we’re not just a bar.”

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com