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.<\/p>\n
Traveling long distances<\/p>\n
Attendees said they traveled six, 10, and 13 hours from across the country to attend.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love everybody here. Everybody loves everybody here. It\u2019s so cool. It\u2019s just family I never even met yet,\u201d Pop Tart the Clown said.<\/p>\n
A woman who goes by Jellyfish said she drove 13 and a half hours from Cleveland. She said this is her 20th Gathering.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our vacation to see each other and see how the year\u2019s been, and to just catch up,\u201d Jellyfish said.<\/p>\n
Family, not just music<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Both said that is a part of Juggalo culture that people often miss.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot all of us do drugs. I don\u2019t even drink. I\u2019m just kind of a goober,\u201d Pop Tart the Clown said.<\/p>\n
The face paint, tattoos and sometimes violent lyrics have given Juggalos a reputation outside their own community.<\/p>\n
Asked what the word \u201cfamily\u201d means, Jellyfish said, \u201cNever leave you hungry. Never leave you stranded. And never ever let you sit there and cry alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pop Tart the Clown described the community this way: \u201c40% of us are white trash. 60% of us got a big heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if those percentages overlap, he said, \u201cYes, all the time. I\u2019m white trash with a big heart, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n
Media access limited<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n