by Madison Dyal
Do you like going out, listening to music, and having a good time with friends and family? Going to a concert sounds like something you would enjoy but going out also comes with a lot of responsibility.
If you enjoy country music, or riding rides, Ocoees Founders Day sounds like just the place for you. Founders Day is a free festival that is hosted once a year around the month of November where country artists come out and perform. A group of people and I went and had a great time. There are tons of venues, rides, and there are plenty of different people you can meet.
On November 2nd and 3rd, in Ocoee Florida, I went to the 25th annual founders day festival that started at 4:30 and ends at 10:30. Ocoee Founders’ Day Festival is dedicated to celebrating Ocoees small town traditions with country music, community, small businesses and fun. Over the past 25 years, the Founders’ Day Festival has grown from a few hundred to 20,000 attendees. Enjoy an array of festival food, carnival rides for the kids, a unique marketplace, car show, beer garden and epic musical performances. Some of the artists that performed were Jake Owen, Big and Rich, Scotty McCreery and many other wonderful country artists. Even if you get tired of having a blast jamming to your favorite country songs, you can go to the section to buy some cheap tickets and ride some rides or play games with your friends. Towards the end of the festivities on the last day, there was a nice firework show to end off the night.
One of the things I did observe at the Festival however, were people being very irresponsible and inconsiderate. During the concert my group and I were standing behind this group of what seemed to be teenagers, probably around the age of 18 or 19. When they arrived, they seemed to have already been intoxicated, and were being very inconsiderate not just to the people around them but leaving trash on the ground for the people that have to stand out there and pick it all up after the concert is over. Throughout the concert they kept asking people around them if they had any extra beers. And finally, an older man, probably in his late 30’s, gave the group of teens alcohol, which was a very irrational decision. The group of teens began to fall on the ground, making a scene, some had vomited and tried to cover it up with their empty pizza box and beer bottles.
Later that night, towards the end of the concert the teens were making plans to go home. One girl didn’t remember where she parked her car and the others thought it was a good idea to drive home, drunk. When you want to go out and have a good time that does not always mean you need to intoxicate yourself, especially if you are under the legal drinking age.
That same night, two people were hit and killed by a man driving intoxicated, at 80 mph. Please, when you want to go out and have a good time, stay safe and stay responsible.