Independence City Council unanimously approves Curfew for Santa Cali Gon Days!
The curfew will go from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for people under the age of 18 who are not accompanied by an adult in the area of the Independence Square, where Santa-Cali-Gon Days takes place. It runs from Friday of Labor Day weekend through Monday. On September 7 this year, the curfew would end at noon. Minors are already not allowed without an adult from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Sign of the times . . . Local municipalities step up precautions after local disasters and constant cable TV news fear . . .
“It’s really that dark hour where things start to get a little worrisome,” Rogers said.
Rogers is also a committee member for Santa-Cali-Gon Days that’s run by the Independence Chamber of Commerce. He says this is not in response to the canceling of Lee’s Summit Days, following widespread disturbances, safety concerns, and several minors being detained.
“We’ve had some issues,” Rogers continued. “I don’t want to talk around this for a few years, but the last several years things have been much better but we know that they could be even better, and again it’s that nightfall time kids start to gather in groups, and you don’t want to wait until something happens before you do something.”
The Independence City Council is scheduled to propose a curfew on Monday night for minors during the Santa-Cali-Gon Days festival.
The ordinance is intended to enhance public safety during the multi-day event.
The proposed curfew applies to minors under age 18 from the Thursday of Labor Day weekend through noon on Labor Day Monday.
The restricted festival district includes Noland Road, Pleasant Street, Farmer Street and Walnut Street. Under the proposed ordinance, minors would be prohibited from these areas during designated hours throughout the Labor Day holiday period.
Exceptions to the temporary curfew are provided for minors accompanied by a parent or guardian. The rules also do not apply to those running emergency errands, returning home from school or extracurricular activities or traveling home from work.
The proposal represents an enhancement of the curfew laws already in effect in Independence. Existing city regulations prevent minors from being out between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday. On Fridays, Saturdays and the eves of holidays, the current curfew is set from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The proposed ordinance follows the recent cancellation of Lee’s Summit Downtown Days, a nearby festival. That event was halted after multiple disturbances involving minors, including one incident where a firearm was recovered and another involving exposure to bear spray.
Source: Fox 4 KC
Commentary
You can say that this is not in response to the incidents at the 2026 Lee’s Summit Downtown Days, and the announcement by the promoters that this year’s event will be the last due to safety concerns in the future. But let’s not bullshit each other … it has a lot to do with it. Yes, Santa-Cali-Gon Days have had their fair share of problems int he past. Fights, robberies, even a shooting. So it should come as no surprise that the promoters of Santa-Cali-Gon Days would be concerned about ‘Teen Takeovers” happening at the upcoming event this September. (2026).
The problem here is per the Status Quo. Let’s take action agaisnt everyone instead of focusing on detering Crime in a manner of which works. Let’s make it so that no one under the age of 18 can attend the annual festival, its Carnival, it’s shows, unless they are accompanied by an adult … well, after 6pm. Okay, so is this really going to make a difference? What is going to happen to those who are caught violating curfew? The same thing that happens to those who commit other crimes … little to nothing. have their parents come get them? Most of the parents for the teens in these ‘teen takeovers’ couldn’t care less what their teenage son or daughter are up to, only that they are out of thier hair and being a nussiance to someone else. Maybe get into their parent’s wallet with some substantial fines? How about some serious community service hours for the youth and fines to the parents if their youth does not complete the program? The problem today is that criminals are not afraid of getting caught. The punishment rarely fits the crime, and in most cases no punishment is iissued at all. Maybe a scolding or a slap on the wrist. Someone needs to make an example of these unruly youth, Right now they see themselves as UNTOUCHABLE.
Not Familiar with Santa-Cali-Gon Days? Look it up on Google.ce in your life … well … maybe not in today’s world.
