Survival Guide to the Red Ants Pants Festival

Published: July 13, 2011

By Joanne Gardner

Dear Potential Festival Attendees and those who are already ticket holders: This Red Ants Pants Festival, July 29-31 at the Jackson Ranches in White Sulphur Spring, is going to be the most fun anyone has ever had in the history of people, pants and music!

OK, that might be overstating it. But it will be great, I promise.

I'm pretty sure you all know the line up – Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Rodney Crowell, and so many other great musicians. It will be hard to leave to get a sandwich and a beer.

I'd like to tell you a little about this festival so you can get the most out of it: I 's in a giant cow pasture – not a stubblefield, a grassy field. But not mown lawn-type grass. I would highly recommend a blanket or something to put under you if you plan on sitting or a chair, and feel free to bring something short to make shade for yourself and your posse if you are in the line of the stage.

If you can live around the edge, bring something taller, but festival etiquette requires you don't block your neighbor's view.

We'll work on moving some rocks and cowpies, but we're all planning to wear shoes.

There is not a tree on this 100-acre field. So, again, a little shade would be good for you all, and some sunscreen and a hat. You get the picture.

The field will be divided with snow fencing into two sections – the festival grounds and the camping area. There will be food and beer and craft vendors in the festival area. There will be water, hand-washing stations and portable toilets in the festival area and the camping area. Although there will be no camping in the festival area, we don't mind if you remain festive in the camping area.

Here are a few more no's, and then it's all yes from here: No animals. Really. Not kidding. Not in the campground and not in the parking area. No shade.

There are still spaces available in town at the campgrounds listed on the website, www.redantspantsmusicfestival.com.

Please don't bring glass or coolers onto the festival grounds. We will have beer and wine and water and drinks of all sorts available. We have more than 30 food vendors bringing everything from barbecue to pizza to noodles. And, there's a little farmers’ market area, if you want to make up your own picnic.

The glass thing is really key – it's a field with a lot of people and broken glass is not fun for anyone. Now is the time to ponder an alternate.

The camping area will be divided into a family/quiet camp up on a hill and the rest can just spread out on 30 acres. If you have a group and want to "save" some spots, bring a rope or coolers to set aside that space. We are planning a bonfire on Saturday night in the main campground, but that will be the only fire allowed on site. The campground director will have info on all sorts of things when you check in.

Camping spaces may be reserved on the website, which will help organizers estimate portable toilets.

The Cattlewomen's Association of Meagher County is supplying breakfast at the campground Sunday morning. They'll have a selection of items for sale, and coffee. The Senior Center in White Sulphur Springs is also hosting a pancake breakfast Sunday morning to raise money for the Historical Society. These events (and a Friday night spaghetti dinner, hosted by the American Legion) are open to all festival attendees.

The festival also offers a merchandise tent, art, craft and food vendors, and an ag demonstration corral, with demonstrations on sheep shearing and colt breaking, and a cross-cut saw contest.

Those who wear Red Ants Pants to the festival, get a free beer on us!

See you in White Sulphur!

Joanne Gardner heads the What's Up, Buttercup company in Livingston, and is helping produce the inaugural Red Ants Pants Festival.