When it comes to summer music festivals, most people tend to think of well established, corporate-sponsored events like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, or the Pitchfork Music Festival. But one music festival that seems to be establishing itself as something of a big ticket in recent years is the annual Gathering of the Juggalos.

Infomercials:

There are plenty of great summer music festivals out there, but how many of them boast an amazing thirty-minute long infomercial starring Vanilla Ice? Okay, maybe calling it amazing is overselling a bit. A more accurate description is that it is so bad it's good. In all honesty, though, it does do a somewhat nice job hyping up the festival and the acts that are performing. It also features Vanilla Ice turning in a better acting performance then he did when he starred in Cool As Ice. And this infomercial is only part one; a second is due out shortly.

A Reasonable Price:

For four days worth of music and hanging out with fellow Hatchetpeople, it's only going to cost you about $175 per person. That grants you access to all four days of the Gathering, including concerts, seminars, and autograph signings, and is about half the price of the Gathering's mainstream equivalent, Coachella. On top of that, you're getting one more full day of the Gathering than you would at Coachella -- unless you plan to hit up both weekends in 2012.

A Solid Lineup of Performers:

While the Gathering of the Juggalos may not boast nearly as diverse a lineup as say, Lollapalooza, it does have its fair share of notable acts. Some of them happen to be pretty big names, including Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, E-40, Xzibit and MC Hammer. Yes, that MC Hammer. Even if you're not a Juggalo, that's a pretty solid line up as far as '90s hip-hop goes. And for Juggalos, you not only get these mainstream acts, but ICP and other affiliated groups like Twiztd and at least eight more acts that happen to wear face paint, including an act called Kung Fu Vampire. Who doesn't want to see something called Kung Fu Vampire?

Being Able to Throw Rocks at Tila Tequila

Okay, that was mostly likely a one-time thing. But what other music festival gets to boast that concertgoers were able to throw rocks, trash, and their own poop at a topless Tila Tequila? Chances are this years festival goers aren't going to get a Tequila repeat, but I'm going to say that the odds on favorite to get pelted this year is MC Hammer.

Plenty of Nudity

Well, actually, given these (NSFW) photos from last year's Gathering, maybe excessive nudity at this thing isn't such a good thing, after all. However, from previous research, we do know that there are some very attractive Juggalettes out there. So, if you're one of those types who likes to run around wearing nothing but face paint, this is the place for you. There's also have a wet T-shirt contest scheduled, but instead of water, they'll likely spray you down with Faygo. Speaking of which...

Lots of Faygo

I've personally never understood the appeal of going to a concert and getting sprayed with soda, but the dousing has become such a big part of ICP's show that the group delayed their concert at the Marquee Theatre for lack of Faygo. For what it's worth, it is a pretty tasty beverage, and there is a really good chance there will be a lot of the stuff at this festival.

Professional Wrestling

Under the assumption that Coachella is the mainstream equivalent of the Gathering of the Juggalos, I'm trying to think of the mainstream equivalent of what adding professional wrestling to Coachella would be, but for the life of me I couldn't come up with anything. But, hey, it's wrestling -- and if you like ICP and other bands like them, you probably also really like pro wrestling. Among some of the bigger names showing up this year are "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Terry Funk, and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.