But this year, it gets a deluge, turning the dirt rows between trailers into mud pits, threatening to suck the shoes off the unwary. Many campers come prepared with galoshes. Others borrow straw or plywood to stabilize the soggy ground on the park's low backside. Eventually the muddy mess becomes a humorous inconvenience. Diversions like the flaming mandolin toss help.
Some spots smell like pig pens.
A kazoo contest and post-contest parade also get added. Good-natured mischief comes in many forms at Galax. Parked on higher, paved ground, the RV campers face less exposure to the elements. For the past 12 years, he's bunked with the Fauquier contingent in the paved RV camper area of Felts Park. He's worked out a deal with a local business that offers a good view of incoming RVs.