About 30 years ago, a farmer decided to stop farming and instead host an outdoor country music festival. He scattered port-a-potties around his land, put up a few fences, hired some country bands, and voila, he got himself a country music festival.
Actually, it’s become quite a big deal around here. The four-day music concert in July draws about 30,000 people, and dozens of them line their campers up for a prime spot a month ahead of time.
Did I mention that we live less than 1/4 mile, as the crow flies, from the festival grounds? Or that the performances typically last until 1:oo am?
On the one hand, the traffic around here is atrocious, and very intoxicated people get more intoxicated. (One year I was spit upon. Another year there was a stabbing.) But on the other hand, the tax revenue pays for a sweet fire station and well-plowed roads in the winter.
Anyway, whether we like it or not, our town has been invaded by hundreds of campers, and we’re about to get a free four-day concert! (For anyone interested, this Saturday is Hodag Hanky Day.)
Ah, as Willie Nelson says, Country music: three chords and the truth.