Holiday Valley Mudslide
Holiday Valley Mudslide
Get a Little Dirty, Have a Lot of Fun
You know it’s officially summer in Ellicottville when Holiday Valley invites everyone to get a little dirty at the annual Mudslide race, coming up on June 15th. That’s right, I said they’re inviting everyone to get muddy! It’s a yearly tradition around these parts. ellicottvilleNOW recently connected with Holiday Valley’s Marketing Director, Dash Hegeman, who give us the dirt on this year’s event.
eNOW: The Mudslide is a staple event to kick off summer. Can you give us some background on it and how it originated?
DASH: Mudslide definitely means that summer is in full swing here at Holiday Valley and has become an event that many people look forward to participating in year after year. I believe this is year 12 of the event and aside from it just being a great way to get people together to have a lot of fun outside, one of the reasons that Mudslide came about was because there were a number of pretty intense mud run events and Holiday Valley wanted to offer people who were looking to challenge themselves but weren’t looking to navigate things like barbed wire or electric shocks. Mudslide offers two different courses, a 4.2-mile short course and a 5.4-mile long course for people who are looking to challenge themselves a bit more. The features are a lot of fun but definitely offer a degree of difficulty that adds to the excitement. And everyone gets to finish the race by sliding down a hill into a large pit of mud. It’s a blast!
eNOW: What’s happening this year that people can get excited about?
DASH: The courses have been redesigned a little and we’ve added some new features into the mix. So for people who have done the run before, it’ll be a new experience but the same great vibes that they know and love.
eNOW: What’s your favorite part about the event?
DASH: It’s a great combination of fun, exercise, and being out in the great outdoors. You can make it as competitive as you want to or just go out as a team and enjoy having a bunch of laughs together while cheering your family and friends on. The entire event is very entertaining, but my favorite part has to be what the event is named for. Watching people come down the mudslide at the end of the race and the look on their faces after they emerge from the large pit of mud is priceless.
eNOW: Can you hook us up on the food and beverage that will be available?
DASH: Yes, there will be food and drinks. The Holiday Valley Food & Beverage team will be serving up pulled pork sandwiches, hotdogs, veggie burgers, and a few different drink options. 42 North Brewing Co. and Ellicottville Brewing Co. will both be onsite and doing beer tastings for the 21+ crowd.
eNOW: How do people register?
DASH: The 2024 Mudslide will take place on Saturday, June 15th. Registration opens at 8:30am. The Long Course race ($70) begins at 10:00am and the Short Course race ($65) begins at 11:15am. The Kids Mudslide race ($20) begins at 1:30PM. Prices go up after May 31st. All the details on this year’s Mudslide including registration can be found at holidayvalley.com/mudslide.
eNOW: What’s upcoming after the Mudslide?
DASH: There’s so much to do at Holiday Valley every summer. Fans of golf have access to one of the most unique courses in the area with the Double Black Diamond Golf Course. For people seeking some outdoor excitement, Sky High Aerial Adventure Park is the best. It’s the largest aerial adventure park in New York State; every route in the 5-acre park is a blast and some of the more difficult courses can be a legitimate workout for even the best of athletes. The Public Pools are now open and are the perfect way to stay cool on some of our hot summer days. The Ellicottville Chamber’s Summer Music Festival takes place over the July 4th holiday weekend and features another fun lineup. Plus, if you haven’t been here for it before, there is always a really popular fireworks display. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser.
eNOW: Anything else you would like to share with the community?
DASH: As much fun as Ellicottville is in the winter, it’s just as captivating in the summer. There’s no shortage of things to do, great places to eat or grab a cold, refreshing beverage, and the village has fantastic shops that are run by amazing people so it makes stopping in to browse a really enjoyable experience. Holiday Valley has so many things to do throughout the summer; stay tuned to @holidayvalley on social media and holidayvalley.com to see what’s happening next.