The water balloon fight is one of the most popular traditions that Bunkerville has to offer. Each year, family and friends gather to participate in the competitive and fierce fight. While watching the fight this year, this reporter was intrigued to learn about the history of this tradition and spoke to local Bunkerville residents Kris Bingham and her mother, Carol Leavitt.

Leavitt remembered being a teenager and having a sleepover with her girlfriends the day before July 4. They would try to find a place where the boys couldn’t find them, because the boys would drench their bedding otherwise. Bingham remembered when a truck full of people stopped by her house. They came to the door, lured Leavitt outside and drenched her with a bucket of water.

At this time, there was a water balloon fight, but on a much smaller scale. The focus was more on trying to dump buckets of water on people. Everyone needed a way to cool down in the extremely hot summers, and this was a fun way to get the whole town involved.

Today’s water fight is much different: It’s a full-blown battle. People prepare water balloons for hours leading up to the fight and some even travel hours to make it back to town. Over the years, the fight has gotten way more intense, sometimes ending with various injuries or even broken car windshields.

This year, the fight was exceptionally intense because it started to rain halfway through. Even with the rain, everyone persevered and kept the fight going, making it extremely memorable and exciting. Though the intensity of the fight changes each year, it always ends the same: with everyone pitching in on the cleanup. Everyone in the neighborhood comes together to keep the streets clean.

The fight is beloved by many, young and old. Five-year-old Miles Bingham said his favorite part of the water fight was “throwing the balloons at the grown-ups.”

Kris Bingham concluded, “I’m not sure how or when it started, but I know it’s been happening for at least 85 years, and I don’t see it ending anytime soon.”