“ MUST WATCH FIGHT !!“ OSCEOLA COUNTY FAIR RIOT pic.twitter.com/VB40rXbvz0
— YUNG $KUM (@josephmcavey) February 19, 2022
On Friday night, the Osceola County Fair closed early following a brawl near the gates of the fairgrounds.
Video from the fair shows crowds running from an unruly scene as police try to separate several young people. It appears the incident started near the gates when the fairgrounds reached capacity. The fair closed the gates and turned away entrants once they hit a cap of 13,000 people. Following the unrest by the gates, they closed the event down early.
“Last night the Osceola County Fair reached capacity and we had to make a decision to close our gates for the safety of our guests and staff. After announcing this, we had some guests who became unruly and and we were forced to close the fair entirely. After consulting with the Osceola County Sheriff’s office and some of our board members, this course of action was required,” the fair wrote on Facebook. “We apologize to those that waited in line for an extended period of time; however, nothing is more important than the safety of our guests and staff.”
One teen was arrested for their part in the fight. The fair’s organizers are reportedly considering a rule change that would require minors to be accompanied by adults at next year’s fair.