“We put clothes on them, tennis shoes, shirts, that we can throw away,” she said.

Carl Palmer, of Springdale, Ark., brought his family to the event after hearing about it from a friend.

Palmer, a minister in Elm Springs, Ark., said the church recently completed vacation Bible school, and he and his family wanted a vacation.

“We needed to take a break from everything,” he said.

Palmer said he was so impressed with the event that he is thinking about holding a similar event near his church.

“We heard about it from a friend who told us, ‘It’s a Carthage institution’,” he said.

Chloe Blaylock, 10, of Seneca, said this was her first Mudstock.

“I think it’s fun,” she said. “You certainly get down and dirty.”

Proctor Lankford, 10, also of Seneca, agreed.

“It’s awesome,” she said.