Funfest Kicks Off WIth Fisticuffs On Opening Day
Brent Carney/TriCities.com
Children stretch to catch beads from from a stage on opening day of FunFest in Kingsport.
Nik Brown CM
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By Nik Brown CM
Production Coordinator
Published: July 11, 2008
KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Kingsport’s FunFest kicked off its 28th year on Friday, and within hours, part of the large crowd witnessed a first for the street fair – a parents’ brawl.
A fight involving several adults forced police to clear out an event intended for preschool-age children.
Two women began fighting near where 1- to 4-year-old children were gathered to catch Mardis Gras-style beads being tossed from the stage, police said.
Witnesses say the altercation was sparked after one woman accused a second of pushing her child in order to get closer to the stage.
Children and parents scattered while the two women wrestled on the pavement. Funfest organizers used the public address system to call for police, who responded within moments.
After the fight was quelled, authorities cleared the area around the stage and began helping separated children find their parents.
One woman involved in the fight received medical attention at the scene. Lt. Bob Abernathy of the Kingsport Police said the fight resulted in no serious injuries.
Police did not release the names of either woman involved.
“We reviewed the [TriCities.com] tapes, and we couldn’t see who started the fight. We’ll give them back the [incident] report and give the information to the two people that were involved, and it will be up to them to get the warrants for assault themselves,” Abernathy said.
After a 45 minute delay, the bead-tossing resumed, with parents having to stand behind a row of police who stood between them and the children at the stage.
A full slate of events is scheduled in Kingsport through July 19 as part of the festival.
To view a complete Funfest schedule, log on to TriCitites.com keyword “fun fest.”
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( HAHAHA ) on July 14, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Thank you for the laugh…i needed it today. Maybe you should stay at home for the santa train. HAHAHA
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Posted by ( rebel65 ) on July 14, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Hey HAHAHA, the term “rebel” means alot more than what your narrow mind can wrap around, you take it as a term of violence and ignorance, the same behavior you seem to be condoning. Im from this area and I also lived in that outlaw state called Ca. for 25 yrs and attended many many community events and not one child was stolen, rapped, assaulted, or murdered. And by the way Im not a woman, Im a man, and how the hell you determined I was a woman from my post has me very worried about your judgement on many other things also…theres your HAHAHA!
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Posted by ( HAHAHA ) on July 14, 2008 at 12:53 am
Oh my goodness what a rough bunch…now now children, haven’t we learned that whenever you point your finger, there’s always four pointing right back at you. You are telling these two women to tone it down and look at the retaliation from “the people around here”. And might I ad in all hilariousness that one particular comment claiming “ ridding this region of stereotypically violent ignorant images of our people, GROW UP AND LEARN SOME MANNERS!!!“ came from a woman that takes the screenname “rebel” (Just a simple observation). In my opinion…there is only one redneck in this situation. The mother that has a child that would allow them to push another child. Also, I don’t have children myself. But if say…my nephew had been pushed by another child, only one of us would have walked away. I mean come on people or “rednecks” as you prefer to call yourselves. If it was your child that had been pushed down, you are telling me that you would have stood by and let it happen? No matter where you’re from…mother’s intuition is always predictable. I must admit though, it is very typical of this area, and I did laugh till I cried when I saw the headline “Slug-Fest”. I thought to myself, it doesn’t surprise me. But if you really count your blessings, atleast its not like California or New York where on a daily basis at events like these children are abducted or killed.
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Posted by ( WesternSkye ) on July 13, 2008 at 8:28 pm
I have lived in Kingsport for almost 20 years. The only thing I do with fun fest is go to the final night fireworks and that is only because I sit in a friend’s yard and watch them. The crowds are rude and very disrespectful. On the Sunday after the last night, the youth of a local church are seen cleaning beer bottles and other trash up off of the church steps. I went to the Santa Train one time, and saw such rude and obnoxious behavior, that was the first and last time I went. I just dont understand why people act so outrageous on something that is supposed to be fun for the community.
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Posted by ( jcarrier0304 ) on July 12, 2008 at 11:02 pm
That was something thatour kids should NOT have had to see or go through! I was so ashamed of these women fight over beads that was meant for these babies. My kids and I am sure many others were scared to death, now when the think of Mardi Gra they will aslways accociate it with fighting and cops! How sad is that? I am very proud of the Funfest men and women that helped these kids overcome this very sad scene! They help their composer and made this out to be a great time for these little ones! Thank you to them, and I am appoled to these so called grown ups! We need to remember they had kids there as well, and my question is how do they still have them after they way they acted not only in front of their own kids, but in front of all of ours as well? Funset is a family event, not a redneck one!!!!!!!
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Posted by ( amp08 ) on July 12, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I would like to say more should of been posted from the editor on this story to give the readers a better understanding. The individuals who were throwing the beads asked the parents to bring their children to the front of the stage that was between the ages 1-4. Then they announced for the parents to exit the gated area so the kids would be able to get beads without the interruption of the parents. The parents did not budge except for a couple. I was one of the parents who moved to the back of the gated area leaving three of my children at the stage. They continued to ask the parents to move and still the parents would not budge and they said we will watch your kids we promise. They also told the parents that they have witnessed in the past parents getting into scuffles over this and that is why they wanted them to exit the area. The parents still chose not to leave and the individuals starting giving out beads letting everyone know they all would have a chance of getting some. About two to three minutes into handing the beads out I heard quit that over the microphone from an individual on the stage. I then stopped and started to look and see were my children were. Then I heard we need police quickly. I remember seeing children beeing jerked up on stage and chaos. I then proceeded to enter the crowd to get my children. I spotted them and made an exit in the left hand corner of the stage. My littlest one was screaming in tears and terrified of the chaos and was telling me she got pushed and my others were frightened as well. I believe this was great example of how parents need to let their children have fun without being ignorant. I believe that the event should of had the police to come in before they even started throwing the beads out in the first place and ask all th parents to back up. I believe that both of the woman should of been sent to jail injuries or not for disorderly conduct in a public area were children were involved. I mean come on Kingsport Police Department is this how we want show off Kingsport by having a fight and no punishment. I am sure if I was a visitor I would of either left the event and went home “which I did” or thought well if they can get away with it so can I. Standards wow we need to set postive ones not typical repetational ones!! I hope these woman realize how much trouble they caused for these innocent children and took what was suppose to be fun for them away in order for them to act like preschoolers.
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Posted by ( tennessee mam ) on July 12, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I was down there sitting under the trees waiting for my daughter and 3 granddaughters, let me tell you, they should have arrested them both and make their name public, shame on them, one of my 3 year old granddaughters was very upset and crying over both idiots. They should be made to make a public apology to all of those babies,PEOPLE of that NATURE NEED TO GROW UP AND GET OVER BEING SO REDNECK and people of tha nature need to keep themselves a THEIR HOME, not out in PUBLIC upsetting a 3 year old, step forward and APOLOGIZE!!!!
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Posted by ( chipmunk ) on July 12, 2008 at 8:42 pm
First of all, these beads should not be promoted to the children. We all know that they really originated in New Orleans for women showing their breast, tehn to the beach towns, and now the little children oare being introduced to them. So in a few years when these little children are a little older and at the beach exposing themselves for more beads, maybe these parents will be proud that they introduced their kids to them.
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Posted by ( sonji704 ) on July 12, 2008 at 6:00 pm
This world is full of people that do not know the proper way to conduct themselves in public. It really infuriates me to see or here of parents ruining a good time for children because they don’t know how to behave. I am really sorry that Fun Fest got kicked off with such a tramatic incident, however i am sure before it is over with there will be other incidences in which people do not know how to conduct themselves properly. By the way I am from SW VA and do not appreciate the former comment posted on this site. But hey,it just proves my point that some people don;t know how to conduct themselves as adults.
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Posted by ( rebel65 ) on July 12, 2008 at 3:14 pm
This is absolutely shameful! What an example for these children, esp. the children of the two so called “parents” who were cat fighting over plastic beads. This doesnt bode well for ridding this region of stereotypically violent ignorant images of our people, GROW UP AND LEARN SOME MANNERS!!!
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