Mud Monster gives parents, kids a place to play in the dirt

But instead of politicians doing the dirty deed, it was thousands of kids and their parents who got sloppy during the third annual Mud Monster event.

For four hours Saturday the southern end of Reid Park, at East 22nd Street and North Country Club Road, was transformed into a series of contraptions and pits where men, women and lots of children splashed, splatted, slid and got soiled in a mixture of dirt and hosed-on water.

About 8,500 wristbands were passed out for people who chose to muddy themselves, said Midge Irwin, a superintendent with Tucson Parks and Recreation. Last year's event drew about 5,000 participants, she said.

"The ability to get dirty and play in the water, it's something different," Irwin said. "It's something easy that families can do, and they love it. We had people coming right up until noon."

On StarNet: See an audio slide show about the day of fun in the mud at azstarnet.com/multimedia