Mule Day 2027 is Thursday, April 1 through Saturday, April 3, 2027, at Maury County Park and in downtown Columbia. The Mule Day Office has posted the dates, but not the full schedule yet. If 2027 follows 2026, the parade is Saturday at 11 a.m. downtown and free to watch, and park admission is $10 a day, with kids under 12 free and a $25 weekend pass.
Everything below comes from the official 2026 schedule unless it says otherwise. We’ll update this page when the 2027 schedule is posted.
When is Mule Day 2027?
Thursday, April 1 to Saturday, April 3, 2027. Mule Day now runs Thursday to Saturday: the 2026 schedule had no Sunday events, and admission covered Thursday through Saturday only. In 2026 the Wagon Train arrived at Maury County Park the Wednesday before, so expect it on Wednesday, March 31, if the pattern holds.
The date moves every year. It was April 9-11 in 2026, April 3-6 in 2025 and March 30 to April 2 in 2023.
What time is the Mule Day parade?
The 2026 parade started at 11 a.m. Saturday downtown, with entries lined up by 10 a.m. at Carmack Boulevard and 17th Street. Visit Columbia describes the route as Carmack Boulevard and West 7th Street. The Mule Day Office doesn’t publish a turn-by-turn route or how long the parade runs, so come early for a spot on West 7th.
Where do you park for Mule Day?
There’s no official parking plan, shuttle or road closure map posted for 2026 or 2027. For the park, Visit Columbia’s local tip is to park at a business along Hampshire Pike (Highway 412) and not past Lions Parkway. For the parade, Columbia Main Street lists free public lots downtown on 6th Street, Woodland and 8th Street. To be sure, call the Mule Day Office at (931) 381-9557.
How much are Mule Day tickets?
- Park admission (2026): $10 a day, Thursday to Saturday. Kids under 12 free.
- Weekend pass (2026): $25, plus $1 if you pay by card. Admission covers everything in the park except rides.
- Parade: free to watch.
- Bluegrass Music Fest: $10, Thursday night at Columbia Central High School.
- Liars’ Contest: $5 for adults, $4 for students.
What happens each day?
The craft fair and the Main Stage music run 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. all three days at Maury County Park. The highlights of the 2026 schedule:
- Wednesday: the Wagon Train rolls into Maury County Park mid-afternoon. Lions Parkway is the best place to watch.
- Thursday: Little Miss Mule Day Pageant, the log pull, a dog show, the Classiest & Trashiest Wagon Show and the Bluegrass Music Fest at 7 p.m.
- Friday: the auctioneers contest, riding and driving mule shows, mule races, the Gaited Mule State Championship and the Liars’ Contest in the evening.
- Saturday: the 6 a.m. pancake breakfast at the Memorial Building on West 7th, the Mule Kick 5K at 8, the parade at 11, the Tennessee State Mule Pulling Championship at 11 and the draft mule show at 2, where one mule is crowned King Mule.
What are the rules?
Dogs must stay on a leash at the park and along the parade route. No alcohol is allowed at the park, in the camping areas or in the parade. Balloons and bubble machines aren’t allowed on the parade route. The Mule Day Office hasn’t published rules on coolers, chairs or rain.
Mule Day questions
Is the Mule Day parade free? Yes. The parade is free to watch downtown; admission is only charged at Maury County Park.
Is Mule Day on Sunday? Not anymore. Since 2026 it has run Thursday to Saturday.
Can you camp at Mule Day? Yes. In 2026 camping at the park cost $60 without electricity and $160 with it, and campers had to buy weekend passes.
New to it? Read what Mule Day is and how it started. For the rest of the weekend, check our events calendar.
Sources: Mule Day, Mule Day 2026 schedule, Mule Day parade, Mule Day park map and admission, Visit Columbia: Mule Day, Visit Columbia: Mule Day like a local.
Photo: Mule Day 2025 by Hmil6, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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