Protect families at the Gregg County Fair
The Issue
To the City Council of Longview, Gregg County Leaders, and Fair Board Officials:
On the evening of September 12, 2026, what was meant to be a fun family night at the Gregg County Fair turned into a terrifying experience for my family.
Between 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM, my wife, my 4-year-old child, and I were enjoying the fair grounds. Around 8:45 PM, chaos broke out. Large groups of unsupervised minors began running through tight spaces, recklessly shoving people—including pushing past my wife and knocking into my 4-year-old. Panic spread as kids started shouting, "They are fighting!" and "They are threatening to shoot this place up!"
Within minutes, we witnessed at least seven police cars and Sheriff’s vehicles rushing onto the grounds with lights flashing. As we scrambled to rush our young child to safety, the danger didn't end at the exit gates. Groups of minors leaving the fair nearly ran us over in the street, revving their engines, shouting vulgarities, and yelling at us to "Move the f*** out of the way or we will." No family should ever have to fear for their physical safety while attending a community event.
This is not an isolated issue. Fairs and large outdoor public events across the country are increasingly being disrupted by unchecked, unsupervised youth violence, putting young children, parents, and community members in direct danger.
We are demanding immediate action: Implement an 7:00 PM Youth Curfew & Mandatory Chaperone Policy for all individuals under 18 years old at the Gregg County Fair.
Why This Policy Is Necessary & Proven to Work
Implementing a minor curfew and adult chaperone policy is not about banning teenagers from having fun; it is about establishing responsible oversight to preserve public safety and protect families.
Other major fairs across Texas and the United States have already successfully enacted similar policies to curb youth-led disruptions and restore order:
- State Fair of Texas (Dallas): Enacted a mandatory policy requiring all guests age 17 and under to be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or chaperone (age 21+) starting at 5:00 PM daily. This policy was instituted specifically to eliminate crowd control issues, large-scale fights, and security panics caused by unchaperoned youth groups.
- Arkansas State Fair & South Carolina State Fair: Enforced policies requiring minors under 18 to be accompanied by an adult after 5:00 PM / 6:00 PM, reporting a immediate drop in violent disruptions, brawls, and panic calls.
- Regional Fairs & Amusements Nationally: Venues implementing 1-to-5 chaperone-to-minor rules and gate ID verification report dramatically improved law enforcement control, reduced gate-crashing, and safer pedestrian flow.
According to routine activity theory and law enforcement standards across large public venues:
- Crowd Dynamics & Escalation: Large, unsupervised youth groups late at night create volatile group dynamics where mob mentality quickly escalates verbal altercations into physical fights, stampedes, and false active-threat claims.
- Resource Conservation: When police officers and sheriffs are forced to act as babysitters or respond to dozens of simultaneous youth brawls, vital public safety resources are diverted away from general event security, medical response, and perimeter monitoring.
- Pedestrian & Traffic Safety: Unsupervised minors fleeing or exiting en masse create extreme hazards surrounding fairgrounds, recklessly dodging traffic, blocking vehicles, and harassing families trying to reach their cars safely.
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Our Demands for the Gregg County Fair Board, City of Longview, & Gregg County Leaders:
- 7:00 PM Youth Curfew & Chaperone Policy: Require all fairgoers under 18 years of age to be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or designated chaperone (age 21 or older) to enter or remain on the fairgrounds after 7:00 PM.
- Mandatory Gate ID Checks: Establish strict age verification and ID checks at all admission entrances starting at 7:00 PM daily.
- Chaperone Ratio Limits: Limit chaperones (age 21+) to accompanying a maximum of 5 to 6 minors at a time to ensure effective supervision.
- Zero-Tolerance Ejection Enforcement: Execute a clear policy requiring immediate ejection and law enforcement escort off the property for any unsupervised minors found on fairgrounds after 7:00 PM or participating in violent disruptions, running, or threatening actions.
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The Issue
To the City Council of Longview, Gregg County Leaders, and Fair Board Officials:
On the evening of September 12, 2026, what was meant to be a fun family night at the Gregg County Fair turned into a terrifying experience for my family.
Between 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM, my wife, my 4-year-old child, and I were enjoying the fair grounds. Around 8:45 PM, chaos broke out. Large groups of unsupervised minors began running through tight spaces, recklessly shoving people—including pushing past my wife and knocking into my 4-year-old. Panic spread as kids started shouting, "They are fighting!" and "They are threatening to shoot this place up!"
Within minutes, we witnessed at least seven police cars and Sheriff’s vehicles rushing onto the grounds with lights flashing. As we scrambled to rush our young child to safety, the danger didn't end at the exit gates. Groups of minors leaving the fair nearly ran us over in the street, revving their engines, shouting vulgarities, and yelling at us to "Move the f*** out of the way or we will." No family should ever have to fear for their physical safety while attending a community event.
This is not an isolated issue. Fairs and large outdoor public events across the country are increasingly being disrupted by unchecked, unsupervised youth violence, putting young children, parents, and community members in direct danger.
We are demanding immediate action: Implement an 7:00 PM Youth Curfew & Mandatory Chaperone Policy for all individuals under 18 years old at the Gregg County Fair.
Why This Policy Is Necessary & Proven to Work
Implementing a minor curfew and adult chaperone policy is not about banning teenagers from having fun; it is about establishing responsible oversight to preserve public safety and protect families.
Other major fairs across Texas and the United States have already successfully enacted similar policies to curb youth-led disruptions and restore order:
- State Fair of Texas (Dallas): Enacted a mandatory policy requiring all guests age 17 and under to be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or chaperone (age 21+) starting at 5:00 PM daily. This policy was instituted specifically to eliminate crowd control issues, large-scale fights, and security panics caused by unchaperoned youth groups.
- Arkansas State Fair & South Carolina State Fair: Enforced policies requiring minors under 18 to be accompanied by an adult after 5:00 PM / 6:00 PM, reporting a immediate drop in violent disruptions, brawls, and panic calls.
- Regional Fairs & Amusements Nationally: Venues implementing 1-to-5 chaperone-to-minor rules and gate ID verification report dramatically improved law enforcement control, reduced gate-crashing, and safer pedestrian flow.
According to routine activity theory and law enforcement standards across large public venues:
- Crowd Dynamics & Escalation: Large, unsupervised youth groups late at night create volatile group dynamics where mob mentality quickly escalates verbal altercations into physical fights, stampedes, and false active-threat claims.
- Resource Conservation: When police officers and sheriffs are forced to act as babysitters or respond to dozens of simultaneous youth brawls, vital public safety resources are diverted away from general event security, medical response, and perimeter monitoring.
- Pedestrian & Traffic Safety: Unsupervised minors fleeing or exiting en masse create extreme hazards surrounding fairgrounds, recklessly dodging traffic, blocking vehicles, and harassing families trying to reach their cars safely.
---
Our Demands for the Gregg County Fair Board, City of Longview, & Gregg County Leaders:
- 7:00 PM Youth Curfew & Chaperone Policy: Require all fairgoers under 18 years of age to be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or designated chaperone (age 21 or older) to enter or remain on the fairgrounds after 7:00 PM.
- Mandatory Gate ID Checks: Establish strict age verification and ID checks at all admission entrances starting at 7:00 PM daily.
- Chaperone Ratio Limits: Limit chaperones (age 21+) to accompanying a maximum of 5 to 6 minors at a time to ensure effective supervision.
- Zero-Tolerance Ejection Enforcement: Execute a clear policy requiring immediate ejection and law enforcement escort off the property for any unsupervised minors found on fairgrounds after 7:00 PM or participating in violent disruptions, running, or threatening actions.
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Petition created on September 12, 2026