Aug 30, 20222 min read

For the Love of Mud: The making of our signature Thrive Outside in the Mud Event.

Updated: Aug 31, 2022

Our "Mud Master" and Board Chairperson, Marc Domina, chasing after his son.

There is something so intoxicating about the earthy, wet smell of mud – especially when you are crawling commando style through it.

Four years ago, we were in a board meeting racking our brains for an original community event that would align with our mission, when our Board Secretary, Amy Boutchie, spoke up. What about Mud?? As we all looked at her somewhat confused, she clarified, what if we had kids running through and in the mud? Faces lit up around the room and the idea sparked an enthusiastic discussion.

In the months after, Thrive Outside in the Mud was born.

Fortunately, we found the perfect venue - Frerichs Farm in Warren, Rhode Island. Its quaint charm offering the ideal backdrop for our muddy, family obstacle course. We also found just the right partner - BoldrDash Race whose motto, "Changing Lives One Obstacle at a Time", completely resonated with us.

The event was an amazing success the first year and has only grown in popularity in the years since.

We realized that we were onto something; people love playing in the mud.

My Mom used to pass on the wisdom from her mother, “You have to eat a pound of dirt before you die.” We help to make that possible with Thrive Outside in the Mud.

Mushy, gushy, glorious mud. We've learned over the years that there is an art to making it. In fact, the process starts days before the event with the delivery of an entire dump truck full of loam!

We've also realized that it takes a village to pull it off; from engaging the local National Junior Honor Society students, to recruiting business sponsors, it takes a small army of volunteers to make for the most memorable, muddy, good time.

My favorite part of it though, is just taking it all in. It’s a wonderful social experiment watching people engage with mud, especially when they are tasked with crawling through it.

Some dive, some roll, and some tip toe delicately over it. We see grandparents, teenagers, moms and dads, little kids, and those wishing to be a kid again. The mud is the great equalizer.

And there is so much more than the mud. In partnership with BoldrDash Race we create a mile-long course of challenging and unique obstacles to tackle. From scaling walls to climbing through tubes, there is something for everyone and a big sense of accomplishment for conquering each one.

And if you’re worried about getting a little too dirty, we’ve got you covered. The Warren Fire Department comes and washes everyone down (and then some!). You can then enjoy snacks from our food trucks as well as the farm's many fun activities.

In a time when kids and adults alike spend so much of their days on screens engrossed in a 2D world, Thrive Outside in the Mud allows our kids, and the kid in each of us, to be grounded in a multi-sensory, 3D experience like non other.

Another bonus? The joy of it all is so contagious. For weeks after, whenever I picture all of those kids and adults playing in the mud, I just have to smile.