A Guide to Mule Days – FOR KIDS!

When you bring up Mule Days, most visitors beeline towards the legendary parade. Being the largest non-motorized variety in North America, it’s no wonder that it’s the main attraction. We agree everyone should see the parade at least once, but if you have kids, we HIGHLY recommend moseying on over to the Tri-County Fairgrounds.

An Assortment Of Options For Every Price Range

Depending on your budget, Mule Days offers up an assortment of options so everyone can enjoy them. The beating heart of the week-long event is the fairgrounds. While the shows in the main arena require a ticket, the fairgrounds themselves are free to enter. Even if you don’t go to a show, we highly recommend visiting them with your youngins.

County Fairgrounds – The Perfect Place To Make A Lifelong Friendship

Outside the main arena, your family has a chance to meet the animals. As a rule of thumb, mules are great for kids. Due to their patient and quiet nature as well as good common sense, they make great mounts for beginner riders. Mule Days is the perfect chance for you to introduce them to these majestic creatures. If you want to take it up a hitch, head over to the west end of the fairgrounds for Packing School. They’ll be teaching kids how to tie a hitch as well as how to work with them.

Alongside the animals, you’ll find a host of booths featuring exciting things like experienced outdoorsmen showing how to use a crosscut saw as well as backcountry horsemen tying hitches. Kids can even go gold panning for ACTUAL gold in four troughs that real 49ers would’ve used back in the day. Even the department of fish and wildlife stock the ponds on the grounds so that kids can learn how to fish. But of course, the premier destination for kids – the ‘I Want To Be A Packer‘ booth.

I Want To Be A Packer Booth – The Kids Homebase

This is THE destination for families. The booth allows your kids to color their own mules and then create a button out of them. Throughout the week, you’ll find a host of other activities/events such as on Friday afternoon – clown school. Franky, a professional clown, gives a short class on how to become a clown. From here you can also sign up your kids for events happening at the Kids Corral, also located outside of the main arena. This thirty-foot-wide arena is where different events with stick mules occur such as jumping, barrel racing, and even musical tires (like musical chairs).

From kiddie corrals to literally learning the ropes of becoming a professional packer, your family will create memories and experiences that will last a lifetime at Mule Days.