Clean freaks beware! MudFest, Montgomery Parks’ annual celebration of dirt, returns to Woodstock Equestrian Special Park in Beallsville on June 14. The park’s grassy lawn is transformed into a giant mud pit. montgomeryparks.org/events/mudfest
Here are five things to know before you go:
1. MudFest is the local celebration of International Mud Day.The idea behind it is to encourage play and to get in touch with nature, according to Katrina Fauss, an organizer of the local event. The county’s first large-scale MudFest was held in 2018. This will be the fifth MudFest after a pause for three years due to the pandemic.
2. The dirt is pre-sifted and recycled.About 120 cubic yards of dirt are brought in each year for MudFest, but organizers also try to keep and reuse as much as possible from year to year, Fauss says. Before it’s mixed with water to create the muddy slop, the dirt is checked to make sure there’s nothing sharp or dangerous in it. Still, closed-toe footwear is recommended.
3. Feel free to bring your own toys.Think beach gear, but dirtier. Plastic pails and shovels, goggles, and even inflatable snow tube sleds and pool floats can add to the fun. There will also be buckets, shovels and mud kitchen utensils available to use.
4. Returning features include a mud volcano,a large pile of dirt with a water hose in the middle that creates a constant mud stream; mud kitchens with wooden “burners” and “ovens” and pretend sinks for making amazing mud pies; a mud art studio for making mud paintings; and a “tinker town” where folks can use loose parts, such as funnels, gutters and tennis balls, to create mud ramps and more. There are also mud slides that land in a large mud puddle.
5. Entry is $20 per vehicle.Hose-off stations and changing tents are available for cleaning up, as are trash bags for collecting muddy items. Come ready to have fun. A DJ and food trucks will be on-site.
This appears in the May/June 2025 issue of Bethesda Magazine.
