Franklin County’s summer festivals and community events are meant to bring families, friends, and neighbors together. Unfortunately, recent incidents involving large groups of unsupervised youth, fights, and safety concerns have resulted in disruptions and even event cancellations.

These events are important to our community. They create memories for families, support local businesses, and give residents a safe place to enjoy our city. The goal is not to punish young people, but to make sure everyone including our youth can enjoy these spaces safely.

We are asking Franklin County and local event organizers to consider implementing stronger youth safety measures at large public events, including:

• Requiring minors under 18 to be accompanied by a responsible adult during large festivals and evening events
• Creating clear supervision policies for high-attendance events
• Increasing safety planning to prevent disruptions before they happen
• Keeping family-friendly events open and enjoyable for everyone.

Parents, teens, children, vendors, and community members all deserve safe events. With reasonable guidelines and accountability, we can protect these traditions instead of losing them.

Please sign this petition if you support safer community events throughout Franklin County.