Dear Editor,
I took my wife and two young children to the Milton Riverwalk Festival on July 4th just south of the bridge to watch the fireworks. I assumed the atmosphere would be fitting to our conservative, small-town, Christian roots, but I was utterly appalled to find that the place resembled a night club more than a Milton event. I suppose my primary concern was the extremely loud and sexually explicit "music" that pulsated through the dancing, half-drunk crowd as we waited for the fireworks to start. I couldn't believe my ears or eyes! This was not remotely appropriate for children, and I am ashamed that this even happened in my hometown. The deafening and maddening music, combined with the freely flowing alcohol, created an atmosphere that was more suitable to a mosh pit, and I witnessed at least two adult fights break out within mere feet of preschool-aged children. If Milton’s downtown events are going to be more suitable to a strip club than to families, then I simply cannot bring my family to any more of them.
Joshua Joscelyn
Milton
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Disappointed in Riverfest