(For those not local to the Kingsport/Tri-City area, you will not really understand this "Fun Fest" discussion, but I
am sure it might be interesting.) Fun Fest and Festus will once again roll into the area for the 2005 celebration of funness. Usually, this a great event for the area and gives everyone a chance to get out of the house and have some fun. There are many popular concerts, fireworks, a parade, races, cook-offs, and much more. This year, I was a little disappointed in the Fun Fest committee and the direction that they took this year's event. This is the 20th year of Fun Fest and the start of the "Friends of Festus" program designed to raise money for the free and much-reduced-priced concerts and events that take place over the week. People that donate hundreds of dollars to the yearly celebration will be given special parking places and special, reserved seating at the stadium concerts. I really don't like this idea since the ideal of this celebration (at its roots, at least) was to bring together the community and form something special in this great corner of the state. In no way did the original founders want to the community to be separated and divided, especially because of class. The beauty of Fun Fest was that everyone (the rich, the poor, the old, the young) came together to just have a good time, but this new "Friends" program really stops that. It gives the higher-off special status and divides the community; it certainly is sad that officials have decided to move away from the original ideals of Fun Fest. We need to get closer to that state of community-belonging rather than farther away into a state of class divisions.
No comments:
Post a Comment