ENTERPRISE — Everyone is welcome to the 41st Hells Canyon Mule Days, celebrating mules and mule skinners, Sept. 9-11 at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds, 668 NW First St.

Since 1981, county residents have celebrated mules and the role the animals played in the settlement of Wallowa County, reliably navigating its canyon and Snake River area and the wilderness areas. As excellent pack animals, they are credited with bringing the first loads of equipment and supplies to settlers in this beautiful part of Oregon.

Sondra Lozier, Hells Canyon Mule Days president, has organized the annual event for the past 22 years, and she is excited to invite families to this three-day festival.

“It’s just a very fun family weekend,” she said. “We have something for everyone. We have a lot of youth classes, and we’ve seen kids that have grown up with Mule Days, starting when they were young ones and now they are college kids, and they’re still coming back for Mule Days. We also have contestants that have been coming here for over 30 years.”

The parade, which is scheduled for noon on Saturday, will showcase another long-time Mule Days participant, Grand Marshal Warren Matthews.

“He and his wife have probably been coming to Mule Days the longest,” Lozier said. “They have a very rich history. They had a boys’ ranch, and the boys used to come with them every year dressed in either blue shirts or red shirts.”

Mule Days appeals to the young ones because it’s three full days of events that include classes for every age group and skill level.

“The mule show is like a horse show, but it’s all mules,” Lozier said. “Many people like the performance classes and others like the jackpot events like poles and barrels.”

The weekend events will include artisans, exhibitors, cowboy poetry, a non-motorized parade, a pit barbecued pork dinner at 5 p.m. Saturday, a private treaty mule sale, a Saturday night concert and a Dutch oven cook-off, just to name a few things.

The main gate opens every day at 8 a.m. and on Friday at that same time, the mule show begins with the halter and showmanship classes and driving events. Saturday’s mule show is at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the main arena, and it showcases the trail class, driving classes and many fun and entertaining events.

Sunday’s mule show begins at 8:30 a.m., showcasing English and Western Pleasure, ranch riding, red neck fishing, jousting and many other fun and hilarious competitions. Don’t forget the Dutch oven cook-off at 9 a.m. Sunday, and sign up to participate as tasters and judges.

These are just some of the highlights — for a full schedule, visit www.hellscanyonmuledays.com or for answers to specific questions, call Lozier at 541-426-3272.