JACKSONVILLE — For more than a decade, people have been getting down and dirty during Mud Nationals at the Mud Creek Off-Road Park in Jacksonville. But the ATV park released a statement yesterday that said due to a death in the family, the park is closing.
That means the 2019 Mud Nationals will be held at a new venue.
The impact of losing such a popular event will be felt throughout Cherokee County and beyond.
"Jacksonville number one is going to lose some revenue from it cause I believe that every motel in a 40 mile radius, Mud Creek was probably full that weekend Rusk all the way to Tyler," Cherokee County Sheriff James Campell said.
Campell said the loss of Mud Nationals also affects the sheriff's office and other local law enforcement.
"They hired several of my off duty officers to work security there," Campell said. "We would go down in there and take calls, if there was a fight or somebody lost their four-wheeler."
Officers would make $35 an hour and sometimes worked 12 hour shifts for the weekend.
"We have restrictions where they can and can't work and they're going to miss out on some extra money," Campell said.
East Texas will feel the loss Campell said.
"A lot of people got exposed to East Texas and Cherokee county and Jacksonville and around which was good for the county," Campell said. "They come over here and see what a good place we have and a fine place to live."
Mud Nationals has not announced where it will be held in 2019.