The Gathering of the Juggalos Sees Steve-O, Chris Hansen, and a Horde of Crazy Clowns Take Over Ohio

The Insane Clown Posse’s annual Gathering of the Juggalos made headlines in April of 2020 when it was one of the first festivals to be canceled due to COVID-19, leaving the hip-hop group’s clown-faced fans crestfallen.

This past weekend, the festival returned to Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio, with what they called “a slightly scaled-down version of the Gathering.” While the entirely outdoor festival may have been smaller, it didn’t look much different than in previous years, given the fact that juggalos (the fans of ICP, who often cosplay as clowns) have been wearing masks long before it was commonplace—albeit of the terrifying clown variety.

While some of the star-studded events and sideshows were noticeably missing, you still had Jackass crew member Steve-O setting his hair on fire seconds before he introduced ICP to the stage, and former To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen giving a seminar about the evils of pedophilia. As always, nostalgia took center stage, with Kid ’n Play bringing the house party to the juggalos, and Vanilla Ice rapping on stage with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (it was Michelangelo, for the record). ICP headlined two of the fest’s three nights, while Ouija Macc—an artist on ICP’s label Psychopathic Records—headlined Friday.

The Gathering is a time where “insane clowns” come from all over the country to party with their “family,” and after a year and a half of sitting at home you could see the joy radiate off the faces of juggalos and musicians alike. More than anything, I witnessed Juggalos hugging each other all weekend; at one point, rapper Whitney Peyton had to take a moment between songs to stop and appreciate what it meant for her to be back on stage again. Despite everything, COVID-19 and the smaller lineup couldn’t stop the mayhem and jubilation of the Gathering of the Juggalos. Whoop whoop.