What the Hell Happened at the ‘Redneck Rave’?

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A music festival that billed itself as a “Redneck Rave” included violent fights, a slit throat, drugs, and someone impaled with a log, according to law enforcement.

Thousands of people, some wielding “Fuck Biden” flags and others just sunburned skin, descended on Blue Holler Offroad Park in Edmonson County, Kentucky, last week for the festival that promised five days of “MUD, MUSIC & MAYHEM.”

And mayhem is what apparently happened. A Facebook post from event organizers even acknowledged that “random things” popped off unexpectedly, and that they could “definitely improve on a lot of things.”

The festival, organized by country rapper Justin Time, started last Wednesday. Since then, 48 people have been charged and 14 people have been arrested for everything ranging from felony assault to drug trafficking, local police told VICE News.

“The first vehicle that came through, we found meth, marijuana, and an open alcohol container,” Shane Doyle, the sheriff of Edmonson County, told the Lexington Herald Leader. “And then one of the occupants had two active warrants … We were like ‘well, this doesn’t bode well for the weekend.’”

Doyle told the outlet that he wanted 24/7 coverage of the event, because he knew how insane it was going to become—and it seems he was right. 

At one point, an attendee driving an all-terrain vehicle hit a log that went under the fourwheeler and impaled him in the abdomen, according to the Lexington Herald Leader. The log was still in the man’s gut as he was airlifted to a nearby hospital.

In another incident, two people got into a skirmish that ended when one slit the other’s throat, and then ran into the crowd, according to Doyle.  Police are still looking for a suspect, the local outlet reported.

And 29-year-old Missouri resident Lancer Hodges allegedly choked a woman nearly unconscious after the two got into an argument over a blanket, the Lexington Herald reported. Hodges denied he choked her, but he has been charged with strangulation, wanton endangerment and fourth-degree domestic violent assault, according to police. 

On Monday, festival organizers thanked the ravers in a Facebook post, saying they have big things planned for the future. There’s another Redneck Rave scheduled for October. 

“This was the biggest event we’ve ever done and with as many people and random things that popped up unexpectedly I feel like we all handled it very well,” the post said. “We have something great going and I can’t wait to see where this train leads to! REDNECK RAVE SHXT!”