No Title 2641
Supplement to “Christian Rock ‘n’ Camp”
Ichthus has traditionally been a camping event with the majority of concert-goers camping on the 111-acre Ichthus Farm in Wilmore. According to Kevin Burgess, former ministry coordinator at Ichthus Ministries, this was mainly out of necessity.
“You have thousands of people showing up and no place to stay in Wilmore,” he says. “Through the years, it’s become the biggest part of the community, a coming together with a higher purpose and being like-minded and focused on the same thing.”
Burgess says the campsite becomes instant community and enriches the Ichthus experience.
“It’s that fellowship that we seem to have lost lately that people really desire,” he says.
Camping at the farm is free with the purchase of a wristband (proof of festival ticket purchase) and attendees have been known to bring their tents, cars, vans, as well as RVs and trailers. On arrival, attendees are shown to a site in the open fields and given space appropriate to the number of tents and vehicles in a given party. For handicapped camping, the festival has a number of campsites located closer to the Main Stage viewing area for easier access to festival activities.
Although there are no water hookups, campers are given free access to two shower houses and to several spigots located throughout the campground. Primitive camping is free, and there are limited spaces with electric hookups for campers with handicap-related needs. There are portable restrooms on the site and ice is available for sale. Campers may bring grills with lids.
In spite of the somewhat primitive nature of the camping facilities, Burgess says that something happens at Ichthus that cannot be reproduced in another setting.
“It is a melting pot of cultures,” he says. “We have so many walks of life coming together in one place and it becomes instant community.”
Other accommodations options include tent rentals, handicapped campsites equipped with electricity, and accommodations at hotels located in Lexington (20- to 40-minute drive).
Go online to www.ichthusfestival.org to learn more about accommodations options.
To read the Kentucky Living June 2011 feature that goes along with this supplement, go to Christian Rock ’n’ Camp.
