Mule Day in Columbia, TN: 2027 Dates, the Parade, Events and How Locals Plan Around It

Visit Columbia calls Mule Day the town's largest and best-known event. If you're coming for it, you want the dates, the parade time and where to stand. If you're thinking about buying a house here, you want to know what that week does to the streets around the square. Both are below.

I own a renovated historic home near the square in Columbia. I've been selling real estate since 2013 and investing in real estate since 2005, and Columbia is a great place to own.

When is Mule Day 2027?

Mule Day 2027 is Thursday, April 1, through Saturday, April 3, in Columbia, TN. The official Mule Day site and Visit Columbia both post those dates as a save the date, as of October 2026.

The 2027 event schedule isn't posted yet. The organizer's parade page puts the parade on the Saturday of Mule Day weekend at 11 a.m., so in 2027 that's Saturday, April 3. Every other time on this page comes from the 2026 schedule, so check muleday.com once the 2027 schedule goes up.

What happens at the Mule Day parade?

The Mule Day Parade is the main event of the week: mule teams and wagons, themed floats, mounted riders, marching bands, and the Mule Day Queen and her court, moving through downtown Columbia at 11 a.m. on Saturday, per the Maury County Bridle & Saddle Club. The organizer says more people come to the parade than to any other Mule Day event.

Parade entries line up at the top of the hill at Carmack Boulevard and 17th Street and have to be in place by 10 a.m. for judging. Visit Columbia sends spectators to Carmack Boulevard and West 7th Street, and the 2026 program's map runs the parade along West 7th Street past the Memorial Building and the Polk Home to the courthouse. The organizer says to get there early because downtown gets very crowded.

If you're watching from the curb, a few of the organizer's rules apply to you too. Alcohol isn't allowed along the parade route, neither are balloons or bubble machines, and dogs on the route stay on a leash. Nothing gets thrown or handed out from the floats, candy included.

Only pre-registered entries march. The organizer asks for entries through the Mule Day Office by March 1.

What events are at Mule Day?

Most of Mule Day happens at Maury County Park: mule shows, pulling contests, a craft fair and live music, with the parade downtown on Saturday. Here's the 2026 schedule, the most recent one the organizer has posted as of October 2026.

The Skillington Draft Mule Show is what the organizer calls the "beauty contest" of Mule Day. The judge looks for long legs, long ears and a good build, and the grand champion is crowned King Mule. The Tennessee State Mule Pulling Championship carried $7,500 in guaranteed prize money in 2026, and the Liars' Contest gives each storyteller five minutes, with proceeds going to the Rose Hill Cemetery Association.

The craft fair and the Main Stage music run 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and food concessions close at 7 p.m. each day, per the organizer.

How much does Mule Day cost?

Daily admission to Maury County Park was $10 Thursday through Saturday in 2026, and a weekend pass was $25, plus $1 if you pay by card, per the organizer. The ticket covers everything in the park except the rides, and the price includes the state amusement tax. 2027 prices weren't posted as of October 2026.

A few events charge on their own: the Bluegrass Music Fest was $10 at the door, the Friday and Saturday line dancing nights were $7 for adults, cash only, and the Liars' Contest was $5 for adults. The Auctioneers Championship at the Producers Livestock Sale Barn had free admission and free parking.

If you're bringing a camper, spaces at the park are reserved through the Mule Day Office, with payment due by February 15. The 2026 rates were $160 for a spot with electricity, $200 for a large spot with electricity and $60 without, and every camper needs a weekend pass. The organizer tells first-time campers to call in early January to get on the waiting list.

The organizer doesn't post a parking plan or a shuttle for park visitors, as of October 2026, and its camping rules say there's no bus from the park to the parade. For anything not on the site, the Mule Day Office is 931-381-9557.

Why does Columbia celebrate Mule Day?

Columbia celebrates Mule Day because it was a mule market. Starting in the 1840s, the first Monday in April was "Breeder's Day," when farmers, breeders and traders met on the Maury County Courthouse square to show, buy and trade mules, per the Maury County Bridle & Saddle Club. The City of Columbia also dates the tradition to the 1840s.

1. In 1933, Thomas Marion Brown, with W.D. Hastings of the Daily Herald and J.J. Johnson, came up with the idea of turning the trading day into a public celebration, per the organizer.
2. In 1934, Columbia held the first official Mule Day, with a parade and a mule show downtown. The City's history timeline says Columbia was proclaimed the Mule Capital of the World that year. Brown designed the original Mule Day Crown, which the organizer says is on display at the Maury County Public Library, and he led the parade as Grand Marshal for seven years.
3. The celebration stopped during World War II and faded out in the 1950s.
4. The Maury County Bridle & Saddle Club formed in 1973 and brought the festival back in 1974 with a Queen's contest, a mule show and the Saturday parade.
5. The Wagon Train started in 1995. It spends two days traveling through rural communities before it rolls into Maury County Park on Wednesday.
6. The organizer counted 2024 as the 50th Mule Day celebration.

On size, the organizer says Mule Day draws more than 200,000 visitors and puts more than $10 million a year into the local economy. The City of Columbia's own page puts it at more than 100,000 visitors a year. Both are estimates, and they don't match, so take them as a range.

The club puts the money back into the county. Its Mule Day Works program funds scholarships for career and technical education and vocational training in Maury County.

What's it like living in Columbia during Mule Day?

For most of Mule Day, the crowd is at Maury County Park, about 4 miles west of the courthouse square, not downtown. Saturday morning is the exception: the parade brings the biggest crowd of the week into downtown Columbia, and that's when living near the square changes your plans.

Here's the week day by day, using the 2026 schedule and the 2027 dates.

• Wednesday afternoon. The Wagon Train arrives at the park midafternoon. Visit Columbia points people to Hampshire Pike and Highway 412 near Lion Parkway to watch it come in, and the organizer has spectators gather on Lion Parkway. If you drive Hampshire Pike, that's the afternoon to know about.
• Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The craft fair and arena events run at the park, at 1018 Maury County Park Drive. From the courthouse it's about 4 miles and 12 minutes without traffic, by West 7th Street and Hampshire Pike, per OpenStreetMap routing as of October 28, 2026.
• Friday, April 2, 2027. That's also the first Friday of April. Columbia Main Street runs First Fridays with the City of Columbia, and for it West 7th, South Main and the whole Public Square close from 5 to 8 p.m., April through December. The 2027 First Fridays dates weren't posted as of October 2026, so check before you plan a Friday evening downtown.
• Saturday morning. Parade entries are in place at Carmack Boulevard and 17th Street by 10 a.m., the parade starts at 11, and spectators fill Carmack Boulevard and West 7th Street. The Culleoka Lions Club pancake breakfast at the Memorial Building on West 7th Street starts at 6 a.m.
• Saturday after the parade. Visit Columbia's own advice is to get lunch downtown and let the traffic clear.

In 2026, the City of Columbia bought 18 portable traffic safety barriers and planned to set them at strategic locations before the parade, WSMV reported on April 8, 2026.

Are roads closed near the square during Mule Day?

Expect the parade route through downtown Columbia to be full on Saturday morning, but neither the organizer nor the City of Columbia posts a street closure map or a parking plan for Mule Day, as of October 2026. The organizer says only that the route travels through downtown, with the lineup at Carmack Boulevard and 17th Street, and Visit Columbia names Carmack Boulevard and West 7th Street as the place to watch.

If you live or work within a few blocks of the square, get your car where you'll need it before the 10 a.m. lineup, or plan to walk. If you're buying downtown, ask the seller how they handle Mule Day Saturday and First Fridays, since they've lived through both.

What does Mule Day mean if you're buying a home near the square?

If you're buying within a few blocks of the square, Mule Day Saturday and the First Fridays nights are when your street gets busy, and both are on the calendar months ahead. I own a renovated historic home near the square, and I'd rather you know how that week works before you write an offer than learn it your first April in the house.

My downtown Columbia, TN guide covers the square, the older homes around it and the city's historic zoning rules. My living in Columbia, TN guide covers taxes, utilities and drive times, my things to do in Columbia, TN guide has the rest of the year, and my Columbia, TN page has the homes for sale. If you want to see homes near the square, DM me, text or call 615-392-1186.

Frequently asked questions about Mule Day in Columbia, TN

When is Mule Day 2027?

Mule Day 2027 is Thursday, April 1, through Saturday, April 3, in Columbia, Tennessee, per the official Mule Day site and Visit Columbia. The 2027 event schedule wasn't posted as of October 2026.

What time is the Mule Day parade?

The Mule Day Parade starts at 11 a.m. on the Saturday of Mule Day weekend and travels through downtown Columbia, per the Maury County Bridle & Saddle Club. With the 2027 dates, that Saturday is April 3, 2027.

Where is Mule Day held?

Most Mule Day events are at Maury County Park, 1018 Maury County Park Drive in Columbia, about 4 miles west of the courthouse square. The parade is downtown, and a few events are elsewhere in town, including the Auctioneers Championship at the Producers Livestock Sale Barn on Industrial Park Road.

How much is Mule Day admission?

Daily admission to Maury County Park was $10 Thursday through Saturday in 2026, and a weekend pass was $25, plus $1 by card, per the organizer. It covers everything in the park except the rides. 2027 prices weren't posted as of October 2026.

Where is the best place to watch the Mule Day parade?

Visit Columbia sends spectators to Carmack Boulevard and West 7th Street. The organizer says to arrive early, because downtown Columbia gets very crowded on parade morning.

Who puts on Mule Day?

The Maury County Bridle & Saddle Club, a nonprofit formed in 1973, puts on Mule Day. The club revived the festival in 1974 and runs the Mule Day Office at 931-381-9557.

Why is it called Mule Day?

Mule Day grew out of "Breeder's Day," a mule market held on the first Monday in April starting in the 1840s, when traders met on the Maury County Courthouse square to show, buy and trade mules. The first official Mule Day, with a parade, was in 1934.

Are roads closed for Mule Day in Columbia?

The parade fills downtown streets on Saturday morning, but neither the organizer nor the City of Columbia posts a street closure map for Mule Day, as of October 2026. Parade entries line up at Carmack Boulevard and 17th Street by 10 a.m., and the parade starts at 11 a.m.

Let's find your spot near the square

Tell me which part of Columbia you'd like to live in, and I'll show you the homes there and what Mule Day week looks like from that street. DM me, text or call 615-392-1186.