Every year attending the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival feels like a family reunion for Brett Vanderkooi and thousands of other heavy metal fans.
“We love rock music and we love the atmosphere,” Vanderkooi said. “We love hanging out with people like us. Even if they aren’t like us, everybody here is friends.”
Vanderkooi, who lives in Galion, has gone to Inkcarceration every summer since it began 10 years ago.
“It’s gotten a lot bigger,” he said. “I like how they change it up a little each year to be better for people. You don’t have to walk around as much as you did a couple years ago.”
The grounds of the Ohio State Reformatory were sweltering under the afternoon sun until a storm interrupted the festival with a temporary evacuation order 4:30 p.m. July 18. The doors reopened two hours later at 6:30 p.m., Inkcarceration Spokeswoman Kristine Ashton-Magnuson said.
‘On a lot of famous Facebook pages’
Vanderkooi was there with his wife, Molly, and daughter, Emery. His family has been famous at Inkcarceration since Emery went crowd-surfing there four years ago.
“My dad kind of just talked me into it,” the Galion girl said.
The next year, she wanted to do it again. The tradition has continued four years now.
“I feel like I’m in the air and it’s just fun,” Emery said. “It feels like I’m powerful and it feels like I’m the leader.”
One of her crowd-surfing videos had more than 100,000 views on social media.
“She’s been on Shinedown’s Facebook page and she’s been on Sleep Theory’s Facebook page,” her dad said. “She’s been on a lot of famous Facebook pages.”
‘Everyone is so friendly’
Craig and Liz Garver were visiting from Marion.
“I have been coming to this for at least a decade,” Liz said.
Her husband, though, was only on his fourth year. He’s glad she introduced him to the festival.
“We like the same music,” Craig said. “That was a common ground for us when we met.”
The Ohio State Reformatory, they agreed, was a perfect venue for the event.
“Every year it gets more and more crowded,” Craig said.
Many of those people were their friends, even if they didn’t know their names yet.
“Everyone is so friendly,” Liz said, as another woman put an arm around her. “Hey, you guys! I didn’t know you were here.”
‘It’s been amazing so far’
Max Johnson drove to Mansfield from Kansas City, Missouri, for his first Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival.
“It was spontaneous,” Johnson said. “But I get to see some of my favorite bands and help people out.”
His tickets were free, but only if he volunteered for trash duty.
“This is my off day today,” Johnson said. “But I am doing trash tomorrow and I did it yesterday as well.”
Trash duty was still fun with the exciting atmosphere around him.
“It’s been amazing so far,” Johnson said. “I love the atmosphere. I love the people. Everyone on staff is super nice. I love it.”
Contact Zach Tuggle at 419-564-3508. Follow him on X at @zachtuggle.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Inkcarceration felt like a family reunion for heavy metal fans
Reporting by Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
