A t-shirt sparks a tradition
MOREHEAD, KY - From t-shirts to tradition, one vendor at the Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival becomes a regular part of fans' yearly experience.
​
For the past 26 years, Russell Clen, the
Russell Clen takes inventory of his shirts at the Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Morehead, Ky, Wednesday, September 18, 21019. Photo By Makayla Holder
All of Russell Clen's available designs hang above his press at the Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Morehead, Ky, Wednesday, September 18, 21019. Photo By Makayla Holder
A miniature version of the machine Russell Clen first used to print his shirts sits at his booth at the Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Morehead, Ky, Wednesday, September 18, 21019. Photo By Makayla Holder
Russell Clen takes inventory of his shirts at the Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Morehead, Ky, Wednesday, September 18, 21019. Photo By Makayla Holder
owner of a traveling t-shirt printing company, T-shirt City, spent the third week of September every year at Poppy Mountain. Over those years his company isn't the only thing that became a tradition at the festival, but his personality as well.
​
“I came to Poppy Mountain because one of the musicians, Melvin Goins, saw me at another festival and said, ‘You know they put on a really good show up there you oughta come get that contract,’” said Clen, a Virginia native. “So I came to poppy mountain to the second one they had and I’ve been here ever since.”
Clen started his business in 1969 and has been traveling since to bring his shirts to various festivals. He travels to 36 in a typical year.
​
He started the business of making shirts for bars where bands he booked would work. After getting a tour of a shirt making factory, he built his own machine.
​
Despite technological advances he said he preferred to operate his business the manual way.
“It gives a personal effect,” said Clen. “People come up and buy a t-shirt and I’m doing a t-shirt just for you.”
This personal effect is what drew Clen’s returning clients to him and made him a part of their tradition at Poppy Mountain.
“It’s a tradition,"said Teawanda Compton, a Bath County native. "The first one I got was in 2006 and I’ve bought one every year."
This tradition has grown to encompass more than just his customers.
Every year that Clen returns to Poppy Mountain it's like a family reunion where he's reunited with his friends.
“I’ve gotten to know the Stevens family real close and I have a whole group of friends that come to this festival and I get to see them every year,” said Clen.
As Clen spends most of his time on the road these reunions have come to mean a lot to him.
​
“That’s pretty much the story of my life,” said Clen. “We do 36 events a year and most of those I’ve been doing quite some time and that’s basically my social live.”
Out of all his years coming to the festival one thing remains the same for him and that is the feel that the people give to Poppy Mountain.
“It’s the biggest party in Kentucky and always has been,” said Clen. “That’s just the way it is.”
