Campers nest in open field at BamaJam

By Debbie Ingram

Published: June 5, 2008

Thirteen-year-old Christopher Ratcliffe wanted to come to BamaJam so bad his dad did what a dad’s gotta do.

He improvised.

Ratcliffe mounted a small air conditioning unit in the passenger side window of his Grand Cherokee and filled the empty space around it with stiff cushions from his lawn chairs. The window unit is powered by a generator in a trailer hooked up to the Jeep. An empty blue tent sits to the side.

“What’s to be embarrassed about? I think it’s pretty cool myself,” said Ratcliffe. “This is truly a one-of-a-kind event – next year it’ll be in Dothan – so I had to come.”

Actually it was Christopher, stretched out in the backseat, who had to come. The G.W. Long student wanted to see ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The two drove over from Daleville late Wednesday night and slept in the SUV with the windows down. The tent is there, if they decide to leave the truck.

The BamaJam Arts & Music Festival opened Thursday afternoon, with six country music entertainers performing on the main stage. Throughout the afternoon, the crowd size steadily increased.

Ronnie Gilley Enterprises vice president Billy Graham said workers and volunteers have been “running everywhere.”

“Everything is going good,” he said. “Today is the day we want to work out the kinks. There have been no major problems and we are gearing up for a larger crowd later on tonight.”

Little Big Town and Alabama’s Randy Owen were to close the entertainment out on opening night.

Most of Thursday’s festivalgoers are campers who expressed their individuality at their sites. Some settled in under Florida Seminole awnings while others drank cold beer wrapped in Auburn huggies. There were Harleys and Harley Davidson trailers about and several campers hoisted rebel flags at their campsites.

It was party time for many as smoke streamed from grills, friends gathered round and “You want a beer?” was the most heard greeting under a hot south Alabama sun.
Some pitched horseshoes while others screamed Alabama fight songs. Some campers brought sound systems so powerful they could rival the ones set up at nearby BamaJam stages.

Matt Jones drove down today with three friends from Calhoun, Ga. The group read about BamaJam on Old Crow Medicine Show’s MySpace page. The band will perform at 8 p.m. Friday on the alternative stage.

“Party! We came to party and hear some ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd,” said Jones who wore a lei around his neck.

Friend April Purdin, clearly a country music fan, was more interested in Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town and Trace Adkins.

“I’m ready for his!” Jones said. “We have been talking about this for months.”

Six friends from Midland City didn’t have the 5-hour drive the Georgia fans did, but the group has had their tickets since they went on sale early this year.

“I’m a big fan of ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynryd, and wherever Blue Highway and Ricky Skaggs perform, I try to go,” said Terry Cunningham who is a member of a local bluegrass band.

His friend, Eric Grantham, said he was coming for the Miss BamaJam bikini contest which is Saturday afternoon. Cunningham, who has a mullet, said he was unaware there is also a mullet competition on Saturday.

“Some people saw me on the beach and wanted to take my picture ‘cause I had a mullet,” he said. “I didn’t even know what it was.”