Benson Mule Days Festival 2025

Mules are mostly infamous creatures. They’ll never claim the roses of the Kentucky Derby or share the Hollywood limelight as Shrek’s best friend. They’re not horses; they’re not donkeys. Instead, they simply fall somewhere in between, a mixture of the two.

But once a year, in Benson, NC, mules are elevated to Derby-Hollywood status. Mules take the stage and are celebrated in a four-day festival affectionately known as “Mule Days.” The tradition began in 1949 when Nowell Smith, Jr. and the McLamb Brothers had the idea for a festival that would both celebrate the farmer and foster community spirit by incorporating the town’s main draft animal – the mule.

For over seventy years, crowds have flocked to the quaint town of Benson on the last weekend of September to enjoy the festivities. Rodeos, mule competitions, arts and crafts, food vendors, dances, carnival rides, camping, parades, Bluegrass shows, and musical acts.