COLD LAKE - The thrill and excitement of Extreme Mudfest invaded Cold Lake from Aug. 14 to 18. Hosted at the Cold Lake Agriculture Society, the four-day festival included a unique blend of mud, music, and motorsports, offering something for everyone.
"Mudfest has been dreamt up over what it means to be a small-town Canadian. We grow up with our families on quads and camping and live music,” said Billie Jo Aasen, the Executive Producer of Mudfest. “We're all about getting kids into the mud and off of their phones and motorsports, so it's really fun to be able to add all these really fun elements that we all did as kids growing up, but actually throw it into a big party and make it an event.”
Extreme Mudfest is a four-day festival packed with various activities such as the Extreme Mud-Run for Charity, bull riding, mega truck races, and a slo-pitch tournament. The festival originated in Bonnyville, inspired by Clayton Bellamy from The Roadhammers, who collaborated with Billie Jo Aasen to create the event around their single "Mud."
Since its inception 11 years ago, Mudfest has grown significantly, making a move to Cold Lake in 2022.
“The [Cold Lake] Ag Society's a great partner for us. We were able to have a permanent track that we could build out and really be able to do a lot with, whereas our previous track we had to tear down and rebuild. It's a lot of work to build that track, so we needed somewhere that was a permanent home,” said Jo Aasen.
Extreme Mudfest has become more than just a local event, attracting participants from across Canada. Aasen also emphasized the economic impact of the event.
“The economic impact is huge. We've been very fortunate to build a big Canadian brand. People come from all over the place. So over 70 per cent of our attendees are outside of a 50-km radius, meaning that they're coming in and buying gas and food and restaurants and hotels and all of that. So, the indirect economic impact is quite significant here."
Also Mudfest has a strong focus on community support and charity. Local organizations such as the 1st Kinosoo Scouts and teachers are involved in running various aspects of the festival, with proceeds going to their causes.
"What we're most proud of is what we do with the charities locally. So, our parking crew, our camping crew, we've obviously got the teachers at the box offices - those are all charitable organizations that we give donations to, and they can go and do all different things," Aasen said.
Aasen also highlighted the festival's commitment to inclusivity, with accessible facilities and activities for all ages.
“One of the other things that we're proud of is we're a 100 per cent accessible event. So, we've got handicap parking, we've got wheelchair ramps, we've got accessible washrooms, so it makes it very accessible for people to come and enjoy and not feel left out, which is something we're just really proud of," she shared.
Aasen reflected on the festival's growth, saying, “We've grown every single year. I think, like anything, once people start to catch on to it, and once we got our footing under us, people just really liked it. So, it means we built a brand that people enjoy and something that they can experience, and we're very, very family orientated.”
