FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Karen Beasley, Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association
PHONE: 256.350.3500 / 800.648.5381
EMAIL: karen@northalabama.org
Making Memories at Mule Day
Winfield’s 50th Annual Mule Day Set for Sept. 27-28
Decatur, Ala. (August 29, 2024) – Mule Day, a two-day event centered on mules and their role in rural farming, hits the streets of downtown Winfield September 27-28, 2024, bringing with it free family fun. Vendors of all kinds, local merchant sales, 5K run, rodeo, car show and antique tractors, mule judging, disc golf tournament, fireworks and a parade are all on the agenda as the North Alabama town celebrates its agricultural heritage.
Now in its 50th year, Mule Day kicks off on Friday evening, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. when shoppers are invited to shop with local merchants and among 300 vendors during the Mule Night Madness. There will also be live music, a spectacular firework show that can be viewed while shopping downtown and runners can take part in a midnight 5K run. Onsite registration for the 5K is from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m. at the Winfield City Hall or may be completed in advance online at https://runsignup.com/Race/AL/Winfield/MULENIGHT5K.
On Saturday, Sept. 28, the festivities get underway at 7 a.m. As festivalgoers wander through the town, approximately 300 arts and crafts and flea market vendors will be selling their wares. Starting at 8 a.m., antique vehicles will be on display in the grove at Winfield Middle School, and not to be missed at 11 a.m. is the highlight of the annual event - the downtown parade of mules, horses, jacks and jennies.
Saturday’s lineup also includes the Mule Day Disc Golf Tournament, PDGA-sanctioned event by Prodigy Disc, at Ivan K. Hill Park at 9 a.m. Registration for the disc golf tournament can be found at https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Mule_Day_2024.
The Mule Day Rodeo is back again for the 2024 festival. The second annual Mule Day Rodeo is set to take place both Friday and Saturday nights. Gates open at 5 p.m. and there will be food trucks and vendors. Mutton Bustin’ gets underway at 6:30 p.m. with the rodeo hitting the dirt at 7:30 p.m. Mutton Bustin’ features children ages 6 years old and younger and under 55 pounds riding sheep out of a chute and into the arena. To register, visit the announcer stand between 5:30 and 6:15 p.m. Cost is $25 (cash only). The rodeo will be held in front of the Gateway Shopping Center, 2210 US 43 in Winfield. Admission to the rodeo is $20 per person, 3 and under free.
Admission to the Mule Day festival is free (unless otherwise noted). Free shuttle service will be offered on Saturday. For more information, visit http://www.winfieldcity.org/ or call the Winfield Chamber of Commerce at (205) 487-4265.
The Mule Day tradition began in 1975 to honor the hardworking mules of the day, and today an estimated 25,000 people from Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida attend the festival.
About Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA)
AMLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the $4.7 billion North Alabama travel industry within the 16 northernmost counties of the state. It is supported by 500-plus members consisting of chambers of commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureaus, attractions, campgrounds, festivals, communities, golf courses, restaurants, accommodations and vendors. Counties included within the AMLA region are Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston. Additional information on North Alabama destinations, accommodations and special events is available by calling 800.648.5381, by visiting www.NorthAlabama.org and by following us on social media @VisitNorthAL.
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