77th Benson Mule Days Set For Sept. 24-27

BENSON, N.C. – Mules, rodeos, live music, a downtown parade and four days of carnival rides will return to Benson later this month for the 77th annual Benson Mule Days.

The longtime Johnston County tradition will be held Sept. 24-27, with activities planned throughout downtown Benson and at the Benson Chamber Park.

The Benson Mule Days Parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26 on Main Street.

This year’s parade will have a new lead attraction. Mission Mules, a North Carolina nonprofit that uses trained pack mules during disaster response efforts, will take part in the Saturday morning parade.

Mission Mules was formed following Hurricane Helene, when pack animals were used to carry supplies into isolated mountain communities where flooding, washed-out roads, fallen trees and other damage prevented conventional vehicles from reaching residents.

The nonprofit continues to train mules, handlers and volunteers for disaster response.

Some of the same working pack mules used in the organization’s training and disaster preparedness efforts will come to Benson for the parade.

“Mules have carried the load for generations, and today they are still capable of going places that vehicles simply cannot,” the Mission Mules team said. “We are incredibly honored to lead the Benson Mule Days Parade and share these special animals with a community that understands and celebrates what makes the mule so remarkable.”

Mission Mules will appear immediately behind the Grand Champion Mules in the parade.

Afterward, visitors will have an opportunity to see the animals near the McLamb Mule Barn. Mission Mules and wagon rides will also be located in the area of Parrish Drive and Market Street.

This year’s parade will also incorporate a patriotic theme as Benson joins communities around the country in recognizing America’s 250th anniversary.

Concert, Rodeo And Carnival

Mule Days begins Thursday, Sept. 24, with vendors, carnival rides and live entertainment.

Country singer Jason Michael Carroll will headline the Thursday night concert at the Singing Grove. RaynorShine Band is scheduled to perform at 6 p.m., followed by Carroll at 7:30 p.m.

A $50 VIP package for the Carroll concert includes reserved seating, a commemorative Mule Days cup, meet-and-greet photo opportunity, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks, an exclusive poster, commemorative guitar pick and VIP lanyard.

The carnival will run Thursday through Sunday at 403 S. Elm Street.

The 77th annual SRA Rodeo will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Nowell Smith Arena at Chamber Park, 355 J. Lee Road.

Admission for ages 6 and older is $20 Friday and $25 Saturday. Children age 5 and younger are admitted free.

Dances will follow the rodeo both nights from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. The Brodie Cormack Band will perform Friday night, with the Antique Outlaws Band scheduled for Saturday. Admission to the dance is $5 for those who have not already paid for the rodeo.

Mules Remain At Center Of Festival

Despite the expanding entertainment lineup, the animals that gave the festival its name remain a major part of the weekend.

Mule and donkey events begin at 10 a.m. Friday at the Nowell Smith Arena. Admission is $5 per person, $8 for two people and $2 for children age 12 and younger.

Mule stable tours will be available from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Wagon rides are scheduled from 1 to 6 p.m. both days.

The Saturday parade remains one of Mule Days’ signature events.

Entertainment Throughout Downtown

Parrish Drive will also host entertainment during the festival.

Zack Lee Band is scheduled to perform from 9:30 to 11 p.m. Thursday.

Friday’s lineup includes Josh Rhyne from noon to 1 p.m., Chris Nelson from 2 to 3 p.m. and Allison Radcliffe from 4 to 5 p.m. Dancing in the Streets with DJ Chris Raynor is scheduled from 8 to 11 p.m.

Karaoke with Nikki Jones will run from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Music in the Grove will include River Crossing Bluegrass from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. Saturday performances include American Pride: A Statler Brothers Tribute at 1 p.m. and Blackcreek Bluegrass Gospel from 3 to 5 p.m.

Vendors will be set up throughout the four-day festival. An arts and crafts show is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, along with a mechanical bull and petting zoo.

Free trolley rides will also be available, with loading locations at Parrish and Elm streets, Chamber Park, and Brooklyn and Elm streets.

Benson Mule Days began as a harvest celebration recognizing the area’s agricultural community and the mule’s importance as a working animal. Seventy-seven years later, the festival continues Sept. 24-27 with the mule still at the center of one of Johnston County’s longest-running annual traditions.