Monster trucks coming to Belmont on Saturday

BELMONT — No longer just a “graveyard smash,” the Monster Mash is the newest event planned for the Belknap County 4-H Fairgrounds. Taking place on Saturday, Oct. 20, the event will feature mud bogging and a monster truck show.

Doors will open at 10 a.m., with the mud bogging – which challenges daring attendees to drive their truck or ATV through a sloppy mud pit – will start at noon. The monster trucks will come out after.

Kathy DeNutte, a board member for the Belknap County 4-H Fair nonprofit organization, said the idea to bring a monster truck event came during the annual 4-H Fair in August. A friend of hers, Jeff Bursey of Pittsfield, brought a few of his monster trucks to display, and while he was there, he mentioned to her that there was a yearly fall monster truck event in Vermont that was canceled this year. Soon, the two were scheming to bring a show to Belmont.

DeNutte said the goal of the event is to bring more people to the 4-H Fairgrounds, with the thought that once people come to the site, they’re likely to come back.

“We want to make the fair a little bigger, and we want to bring more people to Belmont,” DeNutte said.

DeNutte is familiar with the world of monster trucks. Her brother, Gary Langlois, was a “mudder,” she said, who loved to hear the crowds cheer as his truck struggled through a mud pit. Langlois, who lived in Bennington, died in 2011.

Tickets for the show cost $10, with children under 3 admitted for free. Pit passes can be bought for an additional $10, and another $10 will buy a ride in a monster truck.

With no alcohol and no camping permitted, DeNutte said they are hoping to make the Monster Mash a family-friendly affair. Organizers are encouraging kids age 6 and younger to bring their battery-powered vehicles, and even to enter them in a Powerwheels race – call 603-267-6947 to reserve a spot.

Proceeds from the event will be used to improve the facilities at the fairgrounds. But the Monster Mash isn’t really about raising money, it’s about showcasing the fairgrounds to new visitors.

DeNutte said that as many as 1,500 people might come. It’s rare to be able to see a monster truck show, especially one that takes place outdoors.

“People will come from afar,” she predicted. “We don’t have a lot of stuff like this.”

She encouraged people to bring their own lawnchairs and blankets, as they made a choice to not set up grandstands. This way, attendees can position themselves as far or as close to the noise and action as they choose – and some like to get really, really close.

“You wouldn’t believe, people get excited by getting mud all over them,” she said.

The fairgrounds board plans to bring other events to Belmont, such as a food truck festival, DeNutte said. And if the Monster Mash proves to be a smash, it might become a regular affair.

“If this event goes well, we will definitely repeat it. I would love to do this event twice a year, spring and fall.” DeNutte said her brother would approve. “I would love to see this event succeed, he would love that.”