INKcarceration wraps up with a little rain, lots of music and tattoos
The final day of the INKcarceration 2022 Music and Tattoo Festival brought some rain and a one-hour delay.
Sunday's weather meant that at least one out-of-state INKmate — as festival-goers are fondly known — waited a little longer to join the mosh pit with his friends.
More: INKcarceration fans fill Ohio State Reformatory grounds for 3 days of music and tattoos
More: Ink and metal flow as INKcarceration rocks on
More: GALLERY: INKcarceration 2022 festival
“I’m not complaining,” said Kel Smith of Illinois. “Looks like rain — no lightning. It just means mud pits, that’s all. I’ve got a change of clothes in the car. I’m not going to let a little rain ruin my weekend.”
The enthusiastic crowd — the third sold-out day of the heavy music and tattoo festival held on the grounds of the historic Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield — kept emergency personnel on high alert.
Head and face injuries from crowd surfing
“There have been a lot of people with injuries to the face and head from crowd surfing,” said Seth Roy of Procare, a private EMS provider. “If it’s the police, they’ll call it on the radio and we’ll respond if they need us. The fire department has done a lot of transporting out of the venue.”
Members of the Mansfield Fire Department agreed.
“A lot of transports over the weekend,” said Capt. Joe Luca, “but guys have said things have been going smoothly.”
Most of the issues among the crowds, capped at a capacity of 25,000 per day, were typical EMS calls.
“Dehydration and rolled ankles,” said Roy.
“We’ve treated a lot more people at the tent,” said Captain Luca. “Band-Aids, whatnot, cold packs.”
While substance abuse can sometimes accelerate risky behavior in large crowds, Harmonium, a national nonprofit organization, encourages and helps music fans to stay sober at events such as INKcarceration.
'Sober INKmates' tent offers help to crowd
“There’s a lot of people that are glad we are here, not drinking or getting high,” said Tascha Sodan, a volunteer at Sober INKmates, a tent set up on the festival grounds. “Alcoholism and drug addiction is very rampant, so coming to places like this can be a slippery slope; we are here for people in recovery or people that don’t want to drink or get high; to provide a safe place.”
Sober INKmates go the festival to enjoy the music and atmosphere without using stimulants.
“We are a group of music fans that want to go to music festivals without drinking or getting high,” said Sodan. “A lot of people weren’t aware we were even a thing, so we hope to make people more aware that they can go to festivals and stay sober.”
Performers on Sunday included Disturbed, Lamb of God, Seether, and Sick Puppies. Other headliners during the three-day festival included Korn, Papa Roach, Breaking Benjamin and Daughtry.
Inside the historic Ohio State Reformatory, where the Hollywood classic "Shawshank Redemption" was filmed, more than 30 tattoo artists from across the country put ink to fans' skin all weekend.
The heavy metal music adrenalized the crowd, but it did not lead to criminal behavior at the festival.
“The crowd’s been pretty relaxed, having a good time,” Mansfield police Officer Blake Bammann said. "We are more just like a presence.”
Reflections on the local impact.
“It brings a lot to the city,” said Mansfield police Officer Kody Leitz. “There’s people from all over the United States here, in little old Mansfield, Ohio. It’s special.”
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Rain doesn't dampen enthusiasm on final day of INKcarceration
