A Spectacular Americana Celebration featuring David Phelps
We are excited to join the nearly 200 year old celebration of Maury County’s Mule Day! Come explore the amazing city of Columbia, TN and the surrounding areas, enjoy the Mule Day Week festivities and parade – then head over to The Barn at The Phelps Farm for a spectacular night of music, friends, and fun! At 6:30 the concert begins in The Barn. David and the band prep a great concert special for this Americana Celebration with special guests. Be sure and visit the concession stand in Barn & Bale for refreshments during the event.
What is Mule Day?
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.
Mule Day History
“Mule Day” has been a popular Columbia tradition for nearly 170 years, since the 1840s. It began as “Breeder’s Day”, a single day livestock show and mule market event held on the first Monday in April. Over time, “Mule Day” evolved from a single day event into a multi-day festival, attracting thousands of attendees, lasting almost a week. The heavy involvement of Maury County in the mule industry has caused the event to grow over time into “one of the largest livestock markets in the world.”
Mule Day Events
If you visit during Mule Day celebrations, you might see a square dance, a mule-driving contest, a horse show, a crafts festival, or attend a flea market. Other events include “working mule”, “best of breed”, or even lumberjack competitions. Food served at the event includes barbecue, roasted corn, home-made pies and funnel cakes.
Since 1934, the festival has been highlighted by a “Mule Day Parade” held on Saturday during the celebration. Floats in the parade compete, with winners in each judged category receiving awards such as ribbons or money.
The contest for the Mule Day Queen is also held on Saturday. The competition is open to contestants age 15 to 21. The winner is selected based on an essay and other criteria.
The annual mule pull contest requires a pair of mules to pull a sled loaded with cinder blocks 10 feet. Each pair is given 3 tries to make it the full 10 feet. The team that pulls the most weight wins.
Learn more below:
https://muleday.com/about/
About The Artists
Vocal Spectrum
Vocal Spectrum has been singing together since 2003. The members of the quartet come from various musical backgrounds, from classical vocal training to jammin’ in rock-n-roll bands. These 4 young men, who graduated from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, all majored in different fields of study. V.S was originally formed as a one-time educational quartet to sing for a local high school and has never stopped singing since!
V.S. has traveled to Germany, Holland, Sweden, Russia, England, Japan, New Zealand and throughout the United States singing for various shows and conventions as well as teaching high school students about barbershop harmony. Vocal Spectrum has had the privilege of singing for both Russian and China National Television. Jim Henry and David Wright assist with coaching and arrangements for the quartet.
In July of 2004, Vocal Spectrum won the 2004 International Collegiate Quartet Contest held in Louisville, KY. And on July 8th, 2006 won the coveted International Barbershop Quartet Contest – becoming the first quartet in history to win all 3 possible medals (Collegiate Quartet, Men’s Quartet, and Chorus Medal). The quartet was honored to be inducted into the Central States District Hall of Fame and in 2023, Vocal Spectrum was inducted into the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Hall of Fame.
Down River Collective
Down River Collective is an amalgam of influences from across the roots music world. Blurring the lines between traditional folk and progressive acoustic music, DRC draws on diverse backgrounds to create a sound that is both fresh and familiar. Following the lead of Virginia native John Gray and Floridian fiddler Bailey Warren, the DownRiver Collective has evolved from a three-piece folk group to a full-bodied string band with the added help of fellow Belmont University alumni. Connected by a love for bluegrass, Gray and Warren were drawn naturally to vocalist Ali Vance, mandolinist Rico Wallenda, and guitarist Jonny Therrien, who were all members of the same college ensemble. In the harbor of the classroom, the DownRiver Collective began to take shape.
Now, after a pilot run as the original three-piece with their debut album Kettleridge, DRC has released three new songs and re-captured two from Kettleridge in a new light. The new music is a reflection of the band’s growth and signals a new sound from the young up-and-comers.
©2024 David Phelps Concerts, Inc | All Rights Reserved