With fireworks, food and fun galore, festivities this week in Marietta and downtown Lancaster get July 4th celebration off to an early start — and the weather looks as if it will be cooperating.
After reading this nice article about the Marietta Carnival, I decided to take the family for a visit this evening. Big mistake! This was not a family friendly event.
The place was crawling with rowdy, foul-mouthed teenagers -- even on the playground. One of the toddler gyms was completely covered with 8 teens decked out in "goth-style" clothes. I saw only one cop. The whole atmosphere was at best disturbing and at worst scary. It was the kind of place you honestly felt unsafe.
We left after 30 minutes and felt much better when we drove away. What happened to these rural river towns?
Other "family" highlights included:
1. The super loud rap music karoke truck. 2. Rides that blare even more rap music 3. Only a handful of people over 19 were anywhere to be seen. It was almost entirely out-of-control teenagers. 4. Teens and young adults dressed like gang members or hookers. 5. Aggressively creepy carnival vendors.
Someone needs to clean this up for next year.
restoration
Seems like the 4th of July is getting like Christmas. Independence day is JULY 4th not 18 days of other BS.
I just wonder how many people really know what the day is about.
