Thousands get down and dirty at annual Mud Day festival

A persistent drizzle did nothing to dampen the spirits of thousands of children wading through a muddy pit of 20,000 gallons of water and 200 tons of topsoil.

An estimated 5,000 people turned out today to the 28th annual Mud Day in Hines Park, an event for kids under 12, though several kid-at-heart adults joined the fun.

Though threats of thunderstorms loomed over Tuesday's forecast, that didn't stop avid mud-lovers from taking a dip and a dive in the 75-foot wide, 150-foot long pool of mud, director of Wayne County Parks Lawrence Hemingway said.

"Rain doesn't stop the event — we do Mud Day rain or shine," Hemingway said. "Today is a free excuse to get dirty."

Shortly after the pit opened at 11 a.m., the mud Olympics began, with only two rules: no throwing mud and have fun, Hemingway said.

Langston Olugvana, 7, said the rain was an extra perk to this year's Mud Day.

"Rain makes more mud," Langston said. "I like more mud!"

Set to songs like Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out" and the Iggy Azalea pop hit "Fancy," races included the special challenges of wheel-barrowing — when one kid grabs the ankles of a second, who walks on his or her hands — and classic limbo with poles held by adult staff members.

In a final competition, girls and boys vied for the titles of Mud Queen and King, a title presented to the staff's pick of muddiest kid, Hemingway said. Contestants waded, splashed, jumped, danced and trenched through the mud as layers of goop built and molded upon clothes, skin and hair.

After being awarded a plastic crown, this year's Mud Queen, Emileigh Powers, removed her mud-caked pink goggles and smiled. Though a New York City resident, Powers came to Michigan to spend some time with family, which included spending a day at this year's Mud Day.

"It's so muddy," said the 6-year-old winner. "I have mud all over. It feels awesome!"

The 2015 King of Mud Day, 10-year-old Landen Butler of Monroe, felt similarly.

"It's legit," he said. Landen added that being crowned was his favorite part of his first Mud Day.

"It's a kid's dream come true, to play in the mud," said Livonia resident Shannon Williams.

Williams' three boys make it a yearly tradition to attend Mud Day. Their third year, Williams said, would not be deterred by the rain.

"I think they enjoy the rain," she said. "It adds an extra layer of fun."

With mud smeared in his beard and covering his calves, 43-year-old Sam Provenzola of Westland came to Mud Day with his son, his girlfriend, his girlfriend's two children and a rat terrier named Wash.

"He wanted to play, too, but they said 'no animals,'" Provenzola said, laughing and scratching one of Wash's mud-stained ears.

As a black belt in karate, World Class Institute of Martial Arts camp counselor Oscar Amezquita took his campers to Mud Day because he said it helps young campers learn about balance.

"Moving in the mud forces you to find your center of gravity," Amezquita said. "Some of the misconceptions around martial arts is that it's all discipline. Mud Day is a fun way to let the kids learn without all that discipline."

After the kids were finished coating themselves in mud, they lined up to get cleaned up by the Western Wayne Hazardous Material Response Team (HMRT), which provides equipment for Mud Day, team leader Michael Magda said.

Because the cleanup process is nearly identical to the protocol the hazardous material team uses in real world scenarios, the team counts Mud Day as its monthly training day, Magda said.

"It's easier to (decontaminate) biohazards and radiation events than to clean off the mud. It's worse than any chemical because it's sticky, yicky, and gooey," he said.