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.
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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.”
| (276) 645-2568.
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Reader Reactions
To JR421: My, My, are our prejudices peeping through???
Is this all about hicks-ville or just plain old “Tennessee-trash?“
I certainly hope that the parents involved in this silly rukas will have enough decency to make a public apology to and for all who witnessed such a stupid display!!! AND, the adults should have a charge of disorderly conduct! Such a bad example for the kids!
Sounds like we have some visitors from SW Virginia at Funfest this year.
My daughter was hurt in the process of these 2 “women” deciding to fight. My daughter was landed on when one of the women were pushed to the ground. They found her shoe laying under the woman on the ground. My question is: If these individuals decided to fight over something as trivial as beads, why were they not charged for something? Isnt this considered disorderly conduct? My daughter as well as other children, I would assume, were hurt! If not physically, emotionally! Every child I saw in the attempts to locate my daughter were screaming and crying scared to death! I think this is ridiculous that a slap on the wrsit, if even that, was all they got!!
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