MACKS CREEK, Mo. (KY3) – Fans of Insane Clown Posse arrived in Macks Creek Tuesday ahead of the official start of the Gathering of the Juggalos. The Gathering officially begins Wednesday.
Traveling long distances
Attendees said they traveled six, 10, and 13 hours from across the country to attend.
A man who goes by Pop Tart the Clown said he drove six and a half hours from Indiana. He said this is his 15th or 16th Gathering and that he has lost count.
“We love everybody here. Everybody loves everybody here. It’s so cool. It’s just family I never even met yet,” Pop Tart the Clown said.
A woman who goes by Jellyfish said she drove 13 and a half hours from Cleveland. She said this is her 20th Gathering.
“This is our vacation to see each other and see how the year’s been, and to just catch up,” Jellyfish said.
Family, not just music
Jellyfish said she has spent the last 25 years rehabbing houses. Pop Tart the Clown said he works in safety and quality for a major corporation.
Both said that is a part of Juggalo culture that people often miss.
“Not all of us do drugs. I don’t even drink. I’m just kind of a goober,” Pop Tart the Clown said.
The face paint, tattoos and sometimes violent lyrics have given Juggalos a reputation outside their own community.
Asked what the word “family” means, Jellyfish said, “Never leave you hungry. Never leave you stranded. And never ever let you sit there and cry alone.”
Pop Tart the Clown described the community this way: “40% of us are white trash. 60% of us got a big heart.”
Asked if those percentages overlap, he said, “Yes, all the time. I’m white trash with a big heart, baby.”
Media access limited
KY3 received an official media credential Tuesday, but security did not allow a camera onto the festival grounds. The people interviewed for this story were at the staging area before heading inside.
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