NewsChannel 10
Amarillo, Texas - It's something you certainly wouldn't expect to see in the Texas panhandle, but it's here and it's drawing in big crowds and making big bucks.
It's called the Ink Life Tour and it's one of the largest tattoo and music festivals around.
It has literally transformed the Amarillo Civic Center into a giant tattoo parlor.
Celebrity tattoo artist Amy Nicoletto from L.A. Ink says, "I came last year and I never thought in a million years it would be as busy as it was, but to date it is the busiest show I've worked."
They're expecting an even bigger turnout this year.
Organizers say as many as eight thousand people could pour into Amarillo this weekend and could bring in revenue of a few hundred thousand dollars.
Operations Manager Ragen St. Peter explains, "We've been told by so many people the same thing, nothing cool ever comes to Amarillo. We've gotten so many requests and emails for us to stop in Amarillo, and that's why we came."
With more than 150 tattoo artists, some of them celebrities, from all over the country, we're told you're sure to see a high quality of art.
St. Peter says, "They're doing amazing pieces and a lot of the smaller towns just don't see that level of work. You have to go to the big cities."
Many of the tattoo artists we spoke with hope bringing an unconventional event like this one, to a more conservative area, will help to open the eyes of people and make getting tattoos more socially acceptable.
Nicoletto says, "Hopefully doing this type of thing makes people realize, not everybody who has a tattoo is a bad person. It's art. Whether it's on a canvas or your skin, it's art."
Ink Life Tour information:
February 17th- 19th
Amarillo Civic Center
Saturday: 12 PM - 11PM
Sunday: 12 PM - 9 PM
Tickets are $20.00 for the day and $35.00 for a weekend pass
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