Mule Day is a three-day spring festival in Columbia, Tennessee, celebrating the mule and Maury County’s past as a mule-trading center. It started in the 1840s as Breeder’s Day, a one-day mule market on the courthouse square. The first Mule Day parade was in 1934, and the Maury County Bridle & Saddle Club revived the event in 1974. Today it brings a parade, mule shows, a state mule pulling championship, a Liars’ Contest and a craft fair to Maury County Park and downtown every April.
The next one is April 1-3, 2027. Dates, parade time and parking are here.
Why is Columbia called the Mule Capital of the World?
Columbia was a center of the mule trade, and Mule Day grew out of the market where breeders sold mules on the square. The festival’s organizers call Maury County the Mule Capital of the World. The Tennessee Encyclopedia calls Columbia’s Mule Day the largest in the state.
How did Mule Day start?
In the 1840s, breeders gathered on the courthouse square for Breeder’s Day each spring to show and sell mules. Sources disagree on the exact day: Mule Day’s own history and a Tennessee Tech guide say the first Monday in April, while Wikipedia says May.
In 1933 Thomas Marion Brown came up with the idea of a parade, working with W.D. Hastings of the Columbia Daily Herald and J.J. Johnson. The first Mule Day parade followed in 1934. Brown served as grand marshal for about seven years and designed the Mule Day Crown, which is now on display at the Maury County Public Library.
Why did Mule Day stop, and when did it come back?
Mule Day stopped during World War II and faded through the 1950s. In 1974 the Maury County Bridle & Saddle Club, formed the year before, brought it back on a $500 budget. That’s why 2024 was billed as the 50th Mule Day. It was canceled again in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID.
Who runs Mule Day?
The Maury County Bridle & Saddle Club runs it through the Mule Day Office. Proceeds go to community causes, including the Mule Day WORKS scholarships for trade school students, which began in 2024. Organizers say Mule Day draws more than 200,000 visitors and brings over $10 million a year into the local economy; we haven’t found an independent count.
What happens at Mule Day today?
- The Wagon Train: riders spend two days on the road and roll into Maury County Park the day before Mule Day opens.
- The parade: Saturday morning downtown, free to watch.
- Mule shows and pulls: riding, driving and gaited mule shows, mule races, and the Tennessee State Mule Pulling Championship.
- King Mule and the Mule Day Queen: the draft mule show crowns a King Mule. The Queen is chosen from Maury County contestants aged 15 to 21.
- The Liars’ Contest: locals compete to tell the best tall tale.
- The craft fair and music: over 100 vendors and live music at the park all three days.
Who has been grand marshal?
Grand marshals have included Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt in 1998, Tennessee football coach Phil Fulmer in 2009 and country singer Clay Walker for the 50th in 2024.
See what else is on this weekend in our events calendar.
Sources: Mule Day: About, Tennessee Encyclopedia: Mules, Tennessee Tech: Duck River cultural guide, Wikipedia: Mule Day, Columbia Daily Herald: Mule Day celebrates 50 years.
Photo: Maury County Courthouse by Hmil6, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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