MudFest Brings Good, “Clean” Fun to MoCo on Saturday, June 17th

Montgomery Parks is hosing down part of the Woodstock Equestrian Park in Beallsville to get ready for MudFest 2023. The one-day event offers families the unique opportunity to dive into giant mud pits for some good “clean” fun. The event will take place on Saturday, June 17, 2023 |11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., rain or shine. There is, however, a severe weather make-up day: Sunday, June 18, 2023. The event will take place at the Woodstock Equestrian Special Park (map) at 20207 Darnestown Road in Beallsville, MD 20839 (near Poolesville). Video of last year’s event available below.

This will be the third time Black Hill Nature Programs has hosted MudFest. Park staff prepare for the event by purchasing good mud-making dirt, that has been screened for rocks and is a great texture for activities like mudpie making and mud art. Then the maintenance team, also known as mud artists, uses excavators and other earth moving equipment to arrange the dirt into piles, slides, puddles and more. After that, visitors are invited to jump in, slide around and enjoy.

“People love it because it’s all about play,” says park naturalist Katrina Fauss, “there’s permission to have fun and connect to nature and our childhoods. I also think it’s about the scale of the mud slides and piles. There’s just something fun and silly about it all.” Admission to MudFest is $20 per car. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at ActiveMontgomery Mudfest tickets. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate the day of the event with cash only. Ticket sales are final and non-transferable. MudFest goes on rain or shine. If severe weather forces a cancellation, there is a rain date scheduled the following day. “Get down and dirty, jumping, slipping, and sliding in giant mud pits! Cook up a mud pie, make mud art, and play games! This muddy fun will be great for the whole family.”