BRYCE CANYON MULE DAYS Celebrating Mules and the Western Way of Life

There’s a lot to love about mules — enough to fill a week-long festival held each year in Garfield County.

“They say mules are stubborn, and that’s not the truth. They’re cautious. Once you have their trust, they really have unique personalities,” said Tropic resident Merrilee Mecham. “Some people just fall in love with them.”

As part of their own interest in the four-legged creatures, Merrilee and her husband Mclain organized the Bryce Canyon Mule Days event. Held in Tropic, the celebration includes guided mule rides through the surrounding mountain landscape, clinics teaching how to train and outfit mules, and an all-mule rodeo.

Merrilee said county officials were encouraging communities to create events that would attract people to Garfield County during the slower tourist times of the year. The Mechams had attended mule days events in other states and decided they could organize a similar event in their county. Mclain has been a mule fan his entire life and runs a business offering mule rides in the Tropic area.

With the help of volunteers and a friend with experience organizing a mule days event in Arizona, the Mechams brought the first Bryce Canyon Mule Days to life during the first weekend of May in 2017.

Merrilee said.

Since its beginning, the celebration has expanded from one weekend to an entire week. This is largely due to the 2018 addition of the Chrome in the Canyon Mule Sale, which attracts both buyers and sellers to Tropic.

“We had to spread it out because we added the sale and (the people attending) just wanted to stay longer and they were showing up four days before the event,” Merrilee said. “Chrome” in the sale’s name refers to a mule that has a lot of white coloring in its hair coat.

Mule owners have to apply to enter their animals into the sale, and there is a rigorous screening process. Only the top 50 mules are accepted each year; in 2022, the most expensive mule sold for about $40,000.

Mules, which are the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, require intensive, high-quality training, which contributes to their high price. They are extremely sure-footed, Merrilee said, because their eye placement allows them to see all four feet at once. Horses can only see their front two feet.

Potential buyers and visitors alike can attend an event called the Trail Course during Bryce Canyon Mule Days. During this event, the mules to be sold are run through an obstacle course to exhibit their level of training.

Clinics taught by mule experts are also held during Mule Days, providing opportunities for people to learn how to care for their mules, how to outfit them for rides and how to train them. A mule rodeo is held — no horses allowed — as well as a concert and other arena events.

The Mule Days Arena was constructed by the Mechams on their own property. It has bleachers for the crowd, and many people bring their own chairs or sit on their trucks to watch the shows.

“A lot of people are just new getting into it and they like to come to the clinics and learn more about mules,” Merrilee said. “The tourists just think it’s cool to see the Western lifestyle.”

Bryce Canyon Mule Days is run through the efforts many local volunteers. These volunteers include local youth, which allows them to experience and learn about the traditional way of life in the West.

A fundraiser is also held every year as part of Mule Days in honor of Mclain’s brother Clint, who died a few years ago due to cancer. The proceeds benefit local families who need help traveling outside the county for specialized health care.

This year’s Bryce Canyon Mule Days will be held April 30 through May 6. For more information, visit brycecanyonmuledays.com.