Please reach us at office@larryjoetaylor.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
LJT Fest is an annual 6-day songwriter music festival & chili cook-off that offers onsite camping. It features a lineup of top-notch musicians from Texas/Red Dirt genres.
LJT Fest is usually held in the month of April. The exact dates for this year's festival will be April 21-26, 2025.
Melody Mountain Ranch
1290 Private Road 707
Stephenville, TX 76401
The official lineup is usually announced March 2nd which is also Texas Independence Day.
The festival is on rain or shine. April in Texas so who knows?! We suggest shorts & tank tops to jeans & hoodies to rain gear & parkas and everything in between. Comfortable supportive footwear and rain boots are always a good idea! Although we hope it does not rain, it has happened in the past. As long as the weather is not severe, the music will continue either on the main band stage or acoustic covered pavilion stage. The best thing to do is to stay put, find some place dry, and have a good time. Don’t drive in the campground. The majority of Melody Mountain Ranch sits on a hill and will dry out rather fast if people do not drive and make it worse. We do understand that people get stuck and we have several tractors ready and will assist people at no charge.
You MUST have a valid Government form of ID to enter the festival (ID, Drivers License, or Passport). State law requires you to keep your ID on you at all times. We CANNOT guarantee entry without proper identification. See below for a list of acceptable ID’s below:
All items are subject to be searched by law enforcement
Pit Access & Top Row Joe
Violators will be removed from festival grounds by law enforcement
Yes, if you are over the age of 21. Alcohol is not sold on site, however, there is an Allsup's convenience store located on site (vendors row) that sells beer by the case or cold singles. No oversized drinking devices/kegs over 64 ounces. Glass bottles are not allowed and will be confiscated by Law Enforcement.
Yes, 30 inch max height with cooler (from ground level to top of cooler on wagon) No standing on coolers and/or wagons. Medium sized clear bag policy (must not exceed 12" x 6" x 12")
Yes, there are over 30 food, arts, and craft vendors from across the US.
Yes, there are two locations to buy ice. One, along the main camping entrance road, and one at the Allsup's convenience store in the vendor area.
Lost & Found can be located at our festival office, off the main road next to the EMS tent. (behind T-Birds Garage Pub) If your lost item is returned during the festival, we will hold onto the item/s. You are able to call during the week or come to the office to check. (during festival office hours only) We will keep items until cleanup is finished.
You can bring any (lost) items you find to our Lost & Found during the week if you happen upon any. Please ONLY give items you have found to the LJT Lost & Found directly or to one of our Festival Managers. (they will be wearing festival manager shirts).
Buckle up on your trip to the festival. Make sure your vehicles and camper’s tags, lights, and registration is up to date and in working order. For your safety, there will be an increased presence of highway patrol officers during this event.
THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS CAN RESULT IN A WARNING OR EJECTION*
THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE EJECTION*
*If an individual participating in this behavior is uncooperative or a persistent offender, he/she will be removed from the venue site and festival wristband revoked. In certain situations, the offender may be arrested.
Please reach us at office@larryjoetaylor.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Tickets will go on sale December 2, 2024
Yes, single day tickets could be available for Tuesday through Saturday. If available, these tickets will go on sale later in the spring. These tickets are limited and can only be purchased in advance (not sold at the gate).
SINGLE DAY TICKET HOLDERS MUST ENTER THROUGH THE PARKING LOT. LIMITED ACCESS TO ONLY PARKING LOT AND STAGE AREAS. NO ACCESS TO CAMPGROUND.
Yes, as long as that particular day is not sold out. We suggest purchasing tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.
Absolutely! This is an all-ages event. Children 10 and under are free, though do require you to register them by filling out a child wristband card at entry in case of separation. Due to the natural habitat of the grounds, parents should accompany small children at all times.
Anyone 11 years and older will require an admission ticket.
Yes, you receive a wristband and/or decal upon arrival at the campgrounds. This will act as your pass back into the festival grounds every day. No Wristband- No Entry/Re-entry. If there is an issue with your band please find a member of festival staff. **Please DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE** There will be officers patrolling at all hours on and around the campgrounds.
You can always upgrade your ticket at the gate as long as that night is not sold out.
Only if you have already been in during festival hours. You must be in the same vehicle you checked in during festival hours. If you do not have a decal and wristbands for every person in the vehicle you will not be allowed in after festival hours.
Between 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Contact us and we can re-send the e-ticket to you or we can look it up upon arrival. All tickets are scanned at the gates and must be valid.
Contact us immediately and we will be able to VOID the ticket and report it lost and/or stolen. All tickets are scanned at the gates and must be valid. The lost and/or stolen will not be allowed to enter the campgrounds and law enforcement will take over the situation. We will re-assign you new tickets to gain admission into the festival.
Please reach us at office@larryjoetaylor.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Camping hangtags and decals will be held at will call. These hangtags and decals are meant for ONE VEHICLE ONLY and cannot be transferred. Only one vehicle per campsite. A drivable motorhome/bus with chase vehicle (must arrive together) will be issued a duplicate set.
Each year we allow persons that had a campsite the previous year, a chance to re-reserve the same camp site(s) the next year. We have a period called “return reservations” when people can call and get the same site(s) they had the year before. If they want to get new sites or add to their sites they must wait until “open reservations” begin. Campsites will be available online during the open reservation period December 2, 2024 @ 10:00 am CST. Campsite will be available online and over the phone.
Return camping reservations begin November 4, 2024 and will go through November 21, 2024.
If you had campsites last year, you may re-reserve at this time. By re-reserving sites from 2024, return campers will have first pick at open sites on November 25, 2024 starting at 10:00 am CST before they are available to the general public on December 2, 2024.
Your campsite(s) will be open to any one after return camping reservations are over.
We suggest that you reserve the sites you had last year and then when “return camping reservations” are over you can call back and change or try to get more sites together.
Since all the campsites were sold out last year we must wait until after return camping reservation are over to know if a site is available.
All reserved sites were sold out last year. Sometimes people reserve sites just so they won’t loose their spot. We will not know if the site is available until after return camping reservations.
Reserved sites are an actual marked off spot, so you know which spot you will have when you reserve it. Non-reserve camping is just an open field and the location of the site will be first come first serve when you arrive.
We do not. However, we offer a limited number of "Front Row Joe" campers in different sizes with a campsite. Will be available on the purchase tab when camping goes on sale. If you are looking to rent a camper for your campsite, we suggest UnitedRV - call or text (817) 834-7141
Yes, if you have reserved for ALL IN - this is valid for 8 days, can bring in to set up on the Saturday before. If not ALL IN, you can only bring your camper in on the day you have a reservation and ticket for.
Yes. This is a growing request with an increase in rental campers. The procedure is still the same, you can only come in on the day you have a reservation and ticket for. Drop-offs must fill out a sheet given to them at the front gate with a $100 cash deposit. The person will then have 1 hour to drop off and set up the camper. They will be escorted to the campsite and escorted back out of the festival grounds.
Only one decal will be issued for the campsite. You can only have one vehicle per site so if you only have one site the other vehicle will have to park in the parking lot. You may, however, go pick them up in the parking lot.
You may only have one vehicle and camper per site. You may have multiple tents but all other persons will have to park in the parking area or buy another non-reserved campsite to get another vehicle in.
You would need to reserve two or more site to accommodate your camper.
We built a permanent 22 stall shower house to accommodate the needs of festival-goers. There are 11 men's and 11 women's showers, each having a handicap accessible stall. Multi-day and single day shower passes available for purchase at the shower house.
Shower House Hours:
Yes, A+ port-a-jons will have non-potable water trucks on site to fill water tanks. Fee is based on size of tank. A+ port-a-jons festival office - 254-459-2345
Yes, we have a total of over 300 port-a-jons located in every section of the festival grounds. Although there may not be one on your campsite, there will be one in the area. Some people with large groups prefer to reserve a private port-a-jon of their own. If you wish to do this you my contact A+ port-a-jons in advance or on site. This is the only company that will be allowed to rent and maintain port-a-jons. A+ port-a-jons festival office - 254-459-2345
Yes, A+ port-a-jons will have pumping trucks available on site for RV / camper pumping. Fee is based on size of tank. A+ port-a-jons festival office - 254-459-2345
Yes, pets must be on a leash in campground, however NO PETS ALLOWED in concert areas.
Yes, as long as the county is not under a burn ban. If Erath County is under a burn ban we will post this information here. Please bring your own firewood. Firewood not available on site.
Any campsite found to be left unclean will result in a $30 charge applied to the original purchaser's credit card. It is the purchasers responsibility to make sure campsites have been picked up and cleaned upon leaving the festival grounds. No household furniture or large items may be left behind. Please have all trash bagged and ready for pick up upon leaving the festival grounds.
Please reach us at office@larryjoetaylor.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
If you or your company are interested in being a vendor at the Texas Music Festival & Chili Cook-off, please fill out and submit the vendor registration/application form located here. If you have any further questions email our office at office@larryjoetaylor.com
If you or someone you know are interested in working at LJT's Annual Texas Music Festival & Chili Cook-off, please fill out and submit the LJT Festival Employment Application form located here. If you have any further questions please contact our office at (254) 968-8505 or email us at office@larryjoetaylor.com
We are a media-friendly event, and we welcome those who would like to take photos of the fans, vendors, artists, and campers to purchase a ticket and start clicking! You are free to submit any photos to us at office@larryjoetaylor.com or tag us in your social media posts for our use in our future promotional materials. Please note: you do not need a backstage pass or pit pass to do any of these things, as many of the best photos we have seen and use for marketing materials are taken from the front of the stage showing the crowd and the fans!
Media credentials are issued only to accredited media members covering the festival for legitimate publications, internet sites, and radio/television stations. To apply for a media pass, please fill out and submit media application form located here. If you have any further questions email our office at office@larryjoetaylor.com
*Artist interviews must be approved in advance with the artists’ management and the LJT Festival crew*
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