Friday, September 2, 2016

Ider Mule Day - Labor Day Festival




Set for September 5, 2016 and now in its 30th year, Ider Mule Day is a one-day family-friendly festival in celebration of the town’s agricultural heritage and along with mules, tractors, and horses, there will be a parade, live music, a vintage baseball game and more.

Mule Day kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with a parade featuring mules, horses, carriages, antique tractors and wagons. At 10:30 a.m., the competitions get underway. The mule pull gets the action started followed by a draft horse show. A trail horse competition is slated for 11:30 a.m. Entry fee to compete is $10 for children 12 years old and under and $15 for adults. For more information, call 256.899.4011.

The daylong event also offers an antique engine and tractor display, blacksmith demonstrations, a car, truck and motorcycle show, arts and crafts, and a vintage baseball game will take the crowd back to 1860 when the rules to play by were a little different than today. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m.

Live music gets underway at 11:30 a.m. A great entertainment line-up featuring Just One, Jordan’s Crossing, Shaunta Dalton, Consider the Ravens, Resource and Master of Ceremonies Ryan Watkins will keep festivalgoers on their feet and plenty of food vendors will keep everyone’s appetite satisfied.

Admission is $2 per person. All activities are held in and around Ider Town Park located off of Highway 75 at 183 Sweet Gum Road. Pets are not allowed inside of the park. For more information, visit www.idermuleday.com. 

My family and I try to go every year. Mule Day is one of our favorite family days together each year. We always get there in time for the parade that begins at 9:30 AM. This parade is filled with rural Americans finest visual attractions such as horseback riders, ponies, hay wagons, horse drawn carriages, mules, tractors, antique automobiles, elected officials, fire departments, police departments, local school marching  bands and all the other colorful things that are working their way to the park for a great day of wonderful family oriented events.
Our family loves the look and feel of rural America. I guess that is why we city folk moved to the top of Lookout Mountain on a farm. We love all the animals at Mule Day and the events that go with it like the Mule Pull and Draft Horse Pull. It is amazing to witness the strength and drive of these very large animals. There will be a big crowd at the horse arena cheering for their favorite horse and mule. As you walk around the park you will see people brushing and washing their horses, ponies and mules. There are competitions for each category. You can hitch a ride on a horse pulled carriage and enjoy a ride more similar to 100 years ago. For the kids there are pony rides, miniature train rides,  inflatable’s for jumping or getting lost in brightly colored plastic balls. This event has something for everyone in the family. You will find antique cars and tractors, arts and crafts, live music and food and drink all taking place in Ider City Park. This is an event you will not want to miss and it makes a fantastic way to spend your Labor Day holiday.


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