Far-right extremist group set to be at Lakewood summer festival

The city of Lakewood says Moms for Liberty, a conservative group based in Florida, has reserved a booth at this year’s SummerFEST on Saturday. The group is known for protesting at school boards and is considered extremist by civil rights watchdogs.

Lakewood’s SummerFEST is the city’s big, free summer party. Hosted on 350 acres at Fort Steilacoom Park, the event offers rides for kids and over 170 food trucks and other vendors.

“Motorcycles jumping over things and through hoops, we have hot air balloons, we have a circus,” says Mary Dodsworth, director of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services for Lakewood.

Also possible at the park this year: Moms for Liberty, a far-right conservative group known for protesting teachers and schools.

Moms for Liberty opposes students learning Black history and studying LGBTQ+ themes. They’ve worked to ban some books from schools including in Florida.

Last month, the Southern Poverty Law Center added Moms for Liberty to their list of extremist groups.

In Arlington, the group is protesting the city's upcoming Pride celebrations.

Dodsworth says Moms for Liberty has a First Amendment right to be at SummerFEST.

“We can't really discriminate on public property between groups that might have a message or a political ideology that we agree or don't agree with,” Dodworth said.

She says Moms for Liberty paid the $30 fee for a booth and submitted an application in time, but there’s no guarantee that the group will be there on Saturday. However, Dodsworth says she has seen the group around in the area.

"I think that this organization has been at several different street fairs and events in the past,” she said. “I just saw them a week ago in Steilacoom at the Fourth of July parade."

Dodsworth and other Lakewood leaders say they’ve received letters from concerned neighbors who say they feel unsafe with Moms for Liberty having a presence at the family-centered event. Her advice to these people is to avoid booths that make them uncomfortable.

“If there's an area that you're not interested in, maybe you don't want to go to the car show or maybe you don't want to go by certain vendor booths then you could just, you know, walk on by or just not go to that area.”

Regarding safety concerns, she says the event will be well-staffed with plenty of police in case of any issues.

The two big sponsors for SummerFEST are Amazon and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Both companies said in emailed statements they have no involvement in picking SummerFEST participants.