Looking for something to do this weekend? Here are 5 events in and near Maury County!
1Mule Day
April 3 – 7, 2024
Mule Day 2024 will take place in Columbia, TN, from April 3 to April 7. The longstanding event will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year and will feature events, music, food, competitions, dancing, and fine crafts each year.
The event has been a popular Columbia tradition for more than 180 years. It began as Breeder’s Day, a one-day livestock show and mule market held annually. Mule Day is an annual celebration of all things related to mules and is held in Columbia, Tennessee, the “Mule Capital” of the world. Begun in 1840 as “Breeder’s Day,” a meeting for mule breeders, it now attracts over 200,000 people and takes place over four days. In addition to mules, traditional Appalachian food, music, dancing, and crafts are featured.
The event kicks off on Wednesday, April 3 with a wagon train arriving at Maury County Park, 5K in downtown Columbia. A parade on Saturday follows it and ends on Sunday with multiple mule shows. Find the latest updates about the festival here.
2Yacht’s Landing at The Mulehouse
Friday, April 5, 2024, 8pm
The Mulehouse
812 S. High St, Columbia
Yacht’s Landing is the perfect way to spend a Saturday evening in Columbia! Formerly booking themselves as Live From Ventura Boulevard, this band decided to jump into the marina head first and Yacht’s Landing was born. The band consists of experienced touring veterans from Nashville who have trafficked in the world of Yacht Rock for many years. When not entertaining crowds in their newly acquired 70’s attire, you might find these smooth rockers sharing the stage with Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Peter Cetera, Dave Jenkins from Pablo Cruise, David Foster, Jason Scheff (formerly of Chicago), and even American Idol winners Carrie Underwood and David Cook.
Pop music in the late seventies gave us some unforgettable melodies, instrumental hooks, and arrangements performed by some of the greatest musicians and vocalists who have ever lived. Yacht’s Landing will take you back to that era with a set list filled with an eclectic blend of Power Pop, Top 40, as well as some high-end AOR (Album Oriented Rock) gems to keep the good vibes flowing all night long.
3Bloodys + Biscuits
Saturday, April 6, 2024
President James K Polk Home & Museum
301 W 7th St, Columbia
The Polk Home’s annual Bloodys & Biscuits garden party is back! Enjoyn drinks, food, and music in the Polk Home’s gardens before the Mule Day Parade comes past.
Proceeds from the annual Bloodys & Biscuits party support the James K. Polk Memorial Association’s continued mission of preservation and education.
4The French Family at Homestead Hall
Saturday, April 6, 2024, 7pm
Homestead Hall
4544 Hwy 431, Columbia
Country music just sounds better when a family sings it. That’s where it all began: mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, all huddled together, picking and singing on a porch in the twilight.
That’s why when The French Family launch into the bittersweet ache of a classic or the startling tenderness of one of their self-penned original songs, the hairs on country music loving necks stand up, and we instinctively––sometimes tearfully––recognize this father, mother, and son as the real thing.
5Maury County Park Hosts ‘My Friend Earth’ at the Storybook Trail
For the month of April
Maury County Park
1018 Maury County Park Dr, Columbia.
Visit the Storybook Trail located along the Nature Trail in Maury County Park for a monthly, seasonal story to enjoy!
The April story is “My Friend Earth” by Patricia MacLachlan. Our friend Earth does so many wonderful things! She tends to animals large and small. She pours down summer rain and autumn leaves. She sprinkles whisper-white snow and protects the tiny seeds waiting for spring. Readers of all ages will enjoy the vibrant pages of this spectacular book.
To access the trail: Enter Maury County Park and continue straight on the main park road. Pass the Kids’ Kingdom playground on the right, and continue straight up the hill. Halfway up the hill, there is a trailhead with parking on the right.
The Storybook Trail features storybooks presented on child-height panels, along a short accessible trail to promote adult-child interaction around books and nature in a healthy, outdoor activity. Books are rotated monthly, so there is always a new, seasonal story to enjoy.
