I avoid Bele Chere at all costs, I will not even come within 10 miles of downtown. As stated above, it originally started as a means to generate income for the community. Now it is nothing more than a drunk fest & very few of the venders are local, so very little of the money spent there stays in town.

The more whacko street ‘preachers’ in attendance, the more perverse it becomes.  Evidently, these louts are supposed to be free to taunt, insult and otherwise get in people’s faces to spew their hatred and stupidity, but if others take issue with them, it becomes the typical whining “poor persecuted Christians” mantra.

Don’t look if you don’t want to see. Personally I’d rather not see nutty street preachers spew their rhetoric at these events myself.