Reactions to ‘Teen Takeover’ Forcing Cancellation of Church Festival in Columbus Suburb

The wealthy Columbus, Ohio, suburb of Bexley was hit with a nasty surprise over the weekend when a “teen takeover” swarmed St. Catharine’s Catholic Church’s FunFest. An estimated 500 to 800 teens attended the festival, and although most were peaceful, a series of fights broke out that forced cancellation of the event for the rest of 2026.

Footage shows Friday’s chaotic scene. Both Bexley and Columbus police officers responded to the site, given the proximity to both cities. There were reports of 11 arrested by police, though Ben Kessler, the Democrat mayor of Bexley, noted that number was revised down to two arrests.

Kessler shared further details in several Facebook posts. As his most recent post mentioned, “rumors” of shots being fired turned out not to be the case. What did take place around 7 p.m., leading to “an immediate closure of the event,” was “several group fights … among teenagers attending or in the area.”

“A panicked stampede of attendees attempting to quickly exit the event,” he said, also noting issues with those trying to reach the event. “Attendees who had arrived on foot or by bike were able to disperse, but attendees who had been given a ride were delayed in pickup due to the immediacy of the closure as well as lack of access to blocked roads and traffic congestion.”

“By 9:30 p.m., Bexley was mostly clear of large groups, and the Columbus police response continued to the west of us along Main Street,” Kessler later wrote, also mentioning theft at the local CVS from “a large group of teenagers” and vandalism at the local Giant Eagle supermarket.

Even America’s 250 has been affected by “teen takeovers,” the mayor said. “Concerns of behavior of this sort have been mounting throughout the region (and nationally), and in fact, this is exactly what led to our decision to move our Fourth of July evening activities to the night of the third this summer, in order to be the same night as most other celebrations in the region.”

Following Friday’s mayhem, Fr. Bob Penhallurick at St. Catharine’s issued a statement about canceling FunFest for the rest of 2026, “with great disappointment,” acknowledging the volunteers and their disappointment as well.

“The safety and well-being of our parishioners and surrounding community must always remain our highest priority,” Penhallurick said, apologizing “for any inconvenience or disturbance this situation may have caused our neighbors and the surrounding community.”

FunFest, heralded by Penhallurick as “a cherished part of our parish community for many years,” will come back next year, “with increased safety measures.” The 50/50 raffle is still ongoing.

Republican nominee for governor Vivek Ramaswamy was among those lamenting the “teen takeover.” He commended lawmakers for a “swift response,” but also called out prosecutors who are “weak-on-crime” and a culture “that increasingly dismisses the rule of law.”

The Daily Signal’s Mehek Cooke highlighted how homeowners pay around $800,000 in Bexley and are paying for safe neighborhoods. “No zip code is wealthy enough to escape the disorder tax,” she warned.