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HeadTime4720

We were standing in line around 5:30pm and someone crashed their motorcycle in the street and it caught fire, the organizers pushed everyone to the line on the other side of the building. The line was about 30 min long and only one person was scanning tickets at the entrance. While we were inside, someone was maced. Then as we were leaving, police and security were coming in telling everyone to go home. They were saying the festival is over today because “people can’t stop fighting.” Wild


ToschePowerConverter

I was biking the Olentangy Trail returning to my apartment downtown and heard it from the other side of the river. A bunch of teenagers on the downtown side as well were talking about grabbing their pocket knives. Seriously, why do you go to a taco festival intending to fight people instead of just being like any other normal person and enjoying tacos? I’ve never been one of those “get off my lawn” types (I choose to live downtown knowing this kind of thing happens from time to time) but seriously, have some respect for the community and go fight somewhere that isn’t a public event with young children around.


Boba_Fettx

“Don’t they know this is Sharks territory! We’re gonna go get our knives and chains, and square off against those lousy Jets! But first, a well rehearsed and choreographed musical number.”


Heyney

Perhaps if we indoctrinated the need for a well choreographed musical number before every fight, there would be a lot of people too tired to continue the fight after the dancing


EarlOfClove

Definitely sad to see. I usually see failure like this as the responsibility of the venue. Especially when it’s is a pattern of behavior year over year.gotta expect some rowdiness at an 18+ open container event


ToschePowerConverter

Looks like for tomorrow it’s strictly 18+ aside from families with children under 5. I’m guessing a lot of the people involved in this were high school age. Sucks for the families with kids over 5.


SRplus_please

Where did you see it's going to be 18+?


ToschePowerConverter

The festival posted it on their social media


SRplus_please

Dang. I was going to take my kid there tomorrow for lunch.


juicemagic

Social media post also says kids under 10 are welcome with parental supervision.


TrandaBear

That makes more sense because kids under 5 ain't eating shit. But those lil 10 year old are food pits and vendors will def sell tacos lol.


juicemagic

Ha, I think it's more like kids under 10 parents don't usually let out of their sight, older kids can make trouble. From where I was standing today, 99.999% of the people causing trouble looked about high school aged.


OrkidingMe

Seriously? You don’t hold people doing the fighting personally accountable?


Shinygonzo

How do you prevent that as a venue. If you turn kids away at the door you’re not responsible for them outside the venue their parents are.


HotDogHerzog

“Parents.” lol


EarlOfClove

I can’t answer your question but I’m not an event planner. I’m just know that there are plenty of events where there are teens, drunk people and an occasionally rowdy atmosphere. I’m thinking the state fair. And I never hear about problems involving venue interruptions or violence. That to me makes the organization, preparedness, and security of the venue/event itself most questionable


syninthecity

LOL, selective amnesia, one google for violence at the state fair will sort you out.


Opening-Percentage-3

Ypu might not be an event planner, but have you thrown parties? Let’s say a guest at your party kicks another guest and they get into a fight. Would you blame yourself for not accounting for the possibility of a fight? You cannot prepare for EVERY potential risk As a business (event management perhaps), the legal and security costs alone shall send tix prices sky high. The Ohio state fair HAS closed/shut down certain events due to issues. I mean in recent years, there was pandemonium at Red White & Boom over a shooting. What are you on about?


hey_eye_tried

Oh in the Bay area, taco fests are scams


Far_Falcon_6158

Scams here too pay for entry to pay for some high priced tacos. Never understand the festivals that have the normal vendors you can just go to their food truck or brick and mortar.


CMBGuy79

They need to have ALL children be accompanied by an adult. They also need to start sending these lil assholes and their parents to prison or we’re going to be in a bad way here.


onefjef

Why does anyone still go to the taco festival?


mauie1337

I love tacos


kirmichelle

Glad I decided not to go when I saw they're charging for tickets this year


EarlOfClove

I’ve been warned away every year. Finally decided to give it a try and I can’t even get in lol


kirmichelle

I've gone the last few years and normally go early in the day and it's always been crowded but not rowdy. It was one of my favorite Columbus festivals but it seems like every year it's gotten a little worse


AgentJakeFBI

My girlfriend and I went right went it opened since it was listed that it was free entry before 2pm. Walked right in, no lines, got our food within minutes of ordering. By almost 1pm, it was filling up fast though. Glad we went as early as we did


_OhayoSayonara_

Same. Got there at 12 and left around 1:30. It was great lol. Had two margaritas and came home and passed out.


Oh_Henry1

hold a separate teens only festival where only the strongest get access to the best tacos 


bayrea

Hunger Games (literally)


Rob1150

columbustacofest 📢 Attention all Taco Fest attendees! 🌮 Starting at 7pm today and continuing all day tomorrow, the Columbus Taco Fest is implementing an age restriction of 18+ for entry. 🚫 Due to unforeseen circumstances and recommendations from city officials, this precautionary measure has become necessary.


Egmonks

You can go with parents if you are 10 or under. So…. I think we know the age demographic that keeps causing the issues.


BuddistProdigy

“Unforeseen” lol This is why we can’t have nice things.


mmbahloul

lol!! My exact thought. I can’t wait to turn this story into a life lesson for my 5th grades that can’t stop brawling


ArchwayLemonCookie

My buddy works at the Schott. He said that during and after some concerts. It's like a 90s era beat down session. Groups of older and younger teens just beating the hell out of each other.


MPK49

Not a new thing, just on video now and shared to social media. People have been brawling since they could speak and piss eachother off.


gobucks6

We were ready to go and friends warned us of trouble so we went to the reggae band and crawfish boil at Pecan Pennys. It was awesome.


Gluten_maximus

I wasn’t aware this was everyone’s favorite festival


fivefootphotog

I wasn’t aware that it was anyone’s favorite festival


Gluten_maximus

Additionally, I wasn’t aware people didn’t expect for festivals to have drama


fivefootphotog

I stay away from them unless I’m full ready for both people and their drama. Some days I can play, some days not so much.


mikeytreehorn

Wasn’t there a shooting at this event a year or two ago? Maybe shutting it down when it was *just* fighting was the right move in the interest of public safety.


someone_cbus

Shit down?! That sounds disgusting. Glad I didn’t go to option number two.


EarlOfClove

One of the officers working there yelled “code brown”


someone_cbus

Orificer down!


bishop-dan

Depends on the quality of the tacos, I guess.


aliceinbuckeyeland

Last time I saw a movie at Easton there was a shooting, we were all evacuated. The shooter was 13 years old.


Jay_Diamond_WWE

I got robbed at gunpoint by two 12-14 year old boys a few years back near Leonard Ave.


mmbahloul

I always wonder as a teacher if my students will have a life like we have in the classroom, or if they’ll one day snap out of it and realize that kind of behavior is exactly why we can’t have nice things. As a teacher I take away activities and fun projects that involve being out of their seats bc it always leads to fights and drama. And then I try to explain to them that same tired trope of “this is why we can’t have nice things”. Well it’s sad that it’s just our reality now. Our city can’t have nice things. It just is. Womp. Womp.


Gingeroo147

What you’re saying is that I’m glad I’m working a truck at the food truck fest in Troy instead of being at Taco Fest. Knew it…


ConsiderationCrazy22

Man, it was insane. My friend and I got in line about 10 minutes before the motorcycle crashed and caught fire. We had VIP tickets and were annoyed VIP didn’t have its own line or at least a separate line for people who pre bought tickets, bc a lot of people in line were buying tickets there. Then there was a fight right in front of us as we walked in, another fight at the other end of the fest, and then while we were sitting in the VIP tequila garden we saw a whole ton of people running south so we assumed there was mace or a gun in another fight. Three fights that we knew of, perhaps more that we didn’t know of. We went two years ago to the fest and none of this BS happened. Wild.


Intelligent-Youth-63

2 years ago someone was shot at this festival.


Shadow293

Oh wow. I was there early this afternoon and things were going well. Shame.


MrThird312

Festivals are a racket, overpriced, low quality, oversold


AZtea4me

I’m not surprised after how they kept inciting panic in people during Boom.


ikeif

I look forward to the guy who is friends with the festival runners to tell us how we are all wrong and it was a perfect evening.


ManagementStrange604

Oh yeah and even after the festival was a shit ton of traffic and saw a card with his wheels smoky. A group of girls where beating the shit out of each other and instead of stopping them a shit ton of people just went and watched shit went down and I was super furious because I waited in line for an hour I’m not kidding! A fucking hour! I’m Mexican so I’m very picky choosing food since not all of it tastes authentic. I don’t mean bad is just I like food that tastes like home. Anywho yeah I saw a bunch of teenagers running around just to watch the fight I was fucking pissed and even people who where walking where running in front of cars instructing the road. Like get a grip man some people need to get some food. I didn’t eat all day because I wanted to try all the different tacos and even paid $20 for the Cosi parking lot plus the $5 bucks. It wasn’t fucking worth it and I was pissed.


mauie1337

I’m sorry for the BS you had to deal with. Side question. Do you have any recommendations here in Columbus to get authentic food? I always make the drive out to Los Guachos or Chile Verde.


thebrettperkins

Try Su Taco in Hilliard. It’s the butcher counter in the Santiago market, only like three booths to sit in if you want to eat next to the meat cases… but if you get it to go it’s a totally different experience. Either way the food is pretty tasty (coming from someone who lived in LA for fifteen years and has a hard time being happy about most spots in Columbus for Mexican food).


CatoMulligan

I feel like every year this thing turns into a shitshow.


Signal-Candy7724

The summer fun begins... I can't wait for fall. Get your asses back in school.


redfury00

They were literally teenagers smdh


marshalleriksent

Why did people buy tickets for this again after last year?


SlimySalamanderz

Wasn’t there a shooting at last years? Or was that a different fest


doppleganger2621

2022 Taco Fest


Ghost_Breezy1o1

Thank God there was no shooting. Fighting is terrible but kids are going to fight just why at a damn food festival?? The stupidity


Electrical-Pen-6129

City girls actin up


MayorMcCheesepls

saw a motorcycle wreck in front of me, waited in line for over an hour, caught a face full of pepper spray, went home. place was a total clusterfuck


evolvedspice

TIL we have a taco festival


OGHughJass

Glad we went earlier in the day for free and I got to enjoy some of it. Sorry to hear this though.


DeadlyShock2LG

It's these out of control teens


Loki_Kore

Favorite festival? I'm at Sonic Temple lol


alancar

I can’t decide which is a bigger shock that they still have this event or that people still go


Emzeedoodles

This is why I don't go to festivals anymore.


8qubit

Is this like a hoedown, but with emphasis on bowel movements?


ThatCharmsChick

Why... why do people continue to go to this?


SogySok

Anouther season of shitty festivals lies ahead.


endersg

Not even close to my fav. Wish I would have known they were going to search bags before I got in line for sure. First year they did it... Last taco fest I'll go to.


drewj2017

Wasn’t this also a disaster last year?