When it rains at Rock the South, it pours. But so does the beer.

During day two of Alabama’s preeminent country music festival, fans saw what felt like one deluge after another, but nobody seemed to mind getting their boots a little wet as long as the music kept playing and the drinks kept flowing.

Getting to York Farms in Cullman and finally parking to make your way inside the grounds might test your patients, as is the case with any major music festival, especially under relentless rainfall.

You’ll travel up Interstate 65 only to get off on exit 305 and pass one “Trump Country” sign after another on various country roads and area residents using their front and backyards as parking lots.

In my case, a genial and of course mustached law enforcement officer chomped on a granola bar and told me I couldn’t access my lot from here, even after waiting my turn through a stream of cars, most of them souped-up pickup trucks.

So he re-routed me up the road a peg to exit 308 as the rain kicked it up a notch and I hitched a left on to County Road 473, inching across a mile or two of the beautiful, winding, tree-covered two-lane blacktop to finally find Lot B.

After easing into a parking spot in the grass lot, that’s when the bottom fell out of the gray Cullman sky, and I quicky realized bringing those rain boots was a clutch move by yours truly.

I trudged through the muddy puddles I’d hoped wouldn’t trap me hours later when I’d attempt an exit to walk alongside some of Alabama’s true-blue country folks with nary a raincoat in site. Mostly just cowboy hats, cowboy boots, jean pants or shorts (phones in the back pockets), shirts optional for the guys, beer can in one hand, tailgate chair in the other — all on their way to a good ol’ time.

A trail of mist greeted me as I sauntered into the main entrance — perfect on a muggy day in Alabama but somewhat superfluous in a storm (still, appreciated). Concession stands and merch booths flanked fans as they avoided or just plain walked right through large puddles to find a spot to drink, sing and dance for the next six hours, some of them a couple of football fields away from the stage.

To his and his band’s credit, Gavin Adcock played right through the rain, in what I’m sure felt like a welcome little sprinkle for the also-shirtless Watkinsville, Georgia, native. After the “Bonfire Blackout” singer’s set ended, an emcee said, “We told Gavin he’s gonna headline Rock the South in a few years,” so keep your eyes peeled.

That let the crowd hydrate on water, lemonade, Gatorade, beer or whatever gave them the sustenance needed to push on through until the next act, Nashville superstars Big & Rich with Gretchen Wilson.

The break let them soak in the whole vibe. After Thursday’s “Party in the USA” theme, with fans wearing red, white and blue, day two called for “Duck Calls and Overalls,” with fans mostly rocking camo, jean shorts, bright orange hats, crop tops, overalls — and yes, I heard a duck call or two.

The Rock the South crowd often treats the event like a quasi-political rally, with ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump showing their love in colorful ways (many wearing hats and shirts that said “You missed, bitch,” referencing the recent assassination attempt). Though some of them can get quite crass and indecent in expressing opposition to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Between acts, an emcee even implored fans to vote for Trump, transitioning to an impromptu recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Chants of “U-S-A!” and “Trump!” rang out at various stretches, especially when artists such as Big & Rich (who did not outwardly endorse any candidate while stage) took a moment to praise any veterans in the vicinity.

After a thunderous rendition of “Comin’ to Your City,” which 99.9% of the fans also recognize as the theme song for ESPN’s “College GameDay” pregame show, John Rich invited a veteran to the stage to give thanks and serve whiskey shots to a man who served the country as the band rolled into their next number.

Drawing as many hoots and hollers and singalongs as anyone all day was special guest Gretchen Wilson. Folks absolutely lost it when the “Redneck Woman” singer/songwriter from Pocahontas, Illinois, took the stage for a handful of her hits before headliners like Nelly, Oliver Anthony and the night’s closer Hardy filled out the Friday bill.

Last year, Rock the South broke attendance records, with more than 35,000 people attending each day of the festival, totaling more than 100,000 people across the three-day event, according to a spokesperson. I suspect the number will continue to grow, and they will only add to the collection of A-list artists topping the lineups for years to come. Rock the South has become a force on the festival circuit, now even spinning off Rock the Country fests, which visited Mobile in 2024.

Whatever your musical taste or political ideology, fests like this are meant to let you blow off some steam and have a good time. Things can get rowdy and you’ll see a shirt or sign you won’t like (or maybe you’ll love it, just depends), but Rock the South is without a doubt one of Alabama’s biggest cultural events annually, each day drawing tens of thousands — all of them there to celebrate something whether it’s music, America, beer, a politician, freedom or love.

Sometimes it feels good watching people enjoy the elements, not allowing a little rain to ruin a good time. In some of the larger puddles covering a decent of amount of square footage on the York Farms property, people belly-flopped and slid around as they would in their own backyards, stripping an expensive festival ticket down to what it feels like to be a kid on a muggy summer day.

Photographer Alex Kiker caught a beautiful image of one couple embracing with a kiss when the rain fell its hardest, as others scurried for cover or to unwrap their ponchos. These two ignored the storm, got lost in the moment and seemed to realize that it’s all love, or at least, it should be.

See the photos in the gallery above or below.