Gathering of the Juggalos

Turns Out Moving the Gathering of the Juggalos to Oklahoma Was a Bad Idea

By Camille Dodero
Aug 8, 2017

Juggalos and Sooners apparently don't get along. By the end of this year's Gathering, cries of "Fuck Oklahoma!" rang out across the festival.
Paralyzed Juggalo Joe Mekan Feels the Love at His First Gathering

By Andy Hermann
Jul 26, 2016

In the fading afternoon light, Joe Mekan sits near the entrance to Gathering of the Juggalos, smoking a Marlboro and watching his fellow Juggalos pour into the festival. He’s wearing a black tank top and black beanie; tattoos cover his arms, including a work-in-progress he’s doing himself, starting with a...
Donald Trump and Juggalos Have More in Common Than You Might Think

By Art Tavana
Jul 25, 2016

I've been reading Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal, which was ghostwritten by Tony Schwartz, who channels Trump's daily deal-making in what is basically a window into the life of a more charmingly juvenile version of Gordon Gekko. I like this book a lot, if only because it reads...
Can You Be a Non-Juggalo and Still Wear Clown Paint at the Gathering?

By Andy Hermann
Jul 24, 2016

When I told my wife I wanted to go to Gathering of the Juggalos, she had one simple request: “You have to get your face painted, and you have to send pics.” Or is that two requests? Either way, since I do pretty much everything my wife tells me to,...
Juggalos Are the New Ravers

By Andy Hermann
Jul 22, 2016

Of all the ways I thought I would be describing my first Gathering of the Juggalos, "like my first rave" was not on the short list. But after less than 24 hours among the fans of Insane Clown Posse, that's how I'm feeling. It's like I've traveled back in time...
Getting Ready for the Gathering of the Juggalos

By Andy Hermann
Jul 18, 2016

After a much-needed two-year hiatus from the madness that is Insane Clown Posse's annual Gathering of the Juggalos festival, we're happy to report that this year, we're going back. L.A. Weekly is off to Thornville, Ohio for the Gathering, which runs July 20-23, and will be reporting throughout the week on...
Bare-Knuckle Boxing at the Gathering of the Juggalos

By Drew Ailes
Jul 28, 2014

Nate "Igor" SmithNebraska, a personable and modest 22-year-old dishwasher from Lincoln, Nebraska, takes a punch.As our nation's culture and economy continues to deteriorate, more and more people are taking an interest in watching people beat the shit out of each other. While, under normal circumstances, these events are highly promoted...
Overheard at the Gathering of the Juggalos 2014: The Best Quotations

By Daniel Hill and Drew Ailes
Jul 28, 2014

Nate "Igor" SmithAnother Gathering of the Juggalos has come and gone, and with it thousands of face-painted, fun-loving freaks and misfits to and from the event's first year in Thornville, Ohio. While the move from the deep wilderness of Cave-In-Rock, Illinois, to this year's decidedly more inhabited location did make...
Ten Reasons Juggalos are Better Than You

By Drew Ailes
Jul 27, 2014

All photos by Nate "Igor" SmithLife sucks. There is a multitude of reasons why, and no one has come to terms with this inescapable truth better than juggalos. Zen masters of nihilism and partying, they have become unquestionable experts at finding creative ways to cope with the unrelenting pain of...
The Twenty Best-Dressed Juggalos at the Gathering

By Daniel Hill
Jul 27, 2014

All photos by Nate "Igor" SmithClearly, this man takes the top honors.Juggalo fashion generally involves great big pants and T-shirts that were possibly purchased at truck stops. Hair is best when it is braided and aloft in the style of Coolio, and everything looks better coated in a thin layer...
A Wedding at the Gathering of the Juggalos

By Drew Ailes
Jul 27, 2014

Drew AilesTiffany and Dip Set, juggalo bride and groom, exhange vows."Please, we ask you to hold your Faygo until the wedding begins," a woman with electric green braids instructs the crowd. Standing anxiously nearby is the groom, outfitted in a Jack Skellington top hat. His big day has arrived --...
We Got the Inside Scoop on the Guy You Saw on TMZ at the Gathering of the Juggalos

By Daniel Hill
Jul 27, 2014

Nate "Igor" SmithBig LA, on the left, star of TMZ's video that went viral yesterday.Yesterday, TMZ posted a video of a juggalo stripper giving a lap dance to the belly button of an enormously fat man here at the Gathering -- a short film actually shot by DJ Paul of...
Jared Gomes of Hed PE Jumps Off Stage to Punch Fan at Gathering of the Juggalos

By Drew Ailes
Jul 25, 2014

While the Gathering of the Juggalos is generally known as a peaceful event filled with unity and togetherness, there are still occasional scuffles. One such incident took the form of a melee early Thursday morning when Hed PE rapper/singer Jared Gomes launched himself into the crowd to confront a rambunctious...
The Gathering of the Juggalos Night Court Helps Wicked Clowns Bury the Hatchet (NSFW)

By Daniel Hill
Jul 25, 2014

Those in the outside world tend to view the Gathering of the Juggalos as a lawless festival of debauchery, with apparently violent clowns -- "gang members," even, if you ask the U.S. government -- running rampant and chaos ruling the day. In actuality, this notion is far from the truth...
Ten Changes to the 2014 Gathering of the Juggalos After Its Move from Illinois to Ohio

By Daniel Hill and Drew Ailes
Jul 24, 2014

After a seven-year stint at Cave-In-Rock, Illinois, the Gathering of the Juggalos moves this year to Legend Valley Campground in Thornville, Ohio...
We Talked to the Cops at the Gathering of the Juggalos

By Daniel Hill and Drew Ailes
Jul 24, 2014

What's different about this year's Gathering of the Juggalos in Thornville, Ohio? Well, the cops for one thing...