Bishop Mule Days calls for community support to secure future of iconic event
Bishop Mule Days, a cherished local tradition for more than half a century, faces an uncertain future. After facing pandemic challenges, changes in operations, and an unexpected revenue loss, event organizers now face a critical moment: and they are working to raise $100,000 to keep Mule Days going in 2025 and beyond.
“Support today can make the difference between keeping this event alive or losing it forever,” says Board President Amanda Tallman. “Every donation, big or small, brings us closer to our $100,000 goal and helps keep the Mule Days tradition alive for future generations. Your donation is tax-deductible, so please consider giving today to help make a difference.”
Bishop Mule Days, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, has grown from its 1970 beginnings as a humble one-day tribute to the packing community into a world-renowned, multi-day mule celebration. With hotel occupancy reaching as high as 92%, this signature event brings significant economic benefits to Bishop and Inyo County, drawing visitors from around the globe who contribute to the local economy year after year. Studies estimate that each dollar generated by Mule Days circulates six to eight times within the community, providing a crucial financial boost to local businesses as summer visitation begins.
The current situation is serious. The volunteer Mule Days Board is now at a turning point, working to raise the funds needed to keep the event going. Executive Director Donna Bird, involved with Mule Days as a volunteer and now leads as its sixth-ever manager, speaks passionately about the event’s importance. “Many people do not remember a Bishop without a Mule Days,” she says. “Bishop and Mule Days are synonymous, with Bishop being recognized worldwide as the Mule Capital of the World.”
Bird explained that the pandemic, fairground changes, and some missteps created today’s financial challenge. They reassure the community that the Board is committed to fixing these issues and ensuring a solid future.
The path forward requires a collaborative effort. With support from local stakeholders and community leaders, the Mule Days Board is actively working on plans for a sustainable future. A final contract agreement with Tri-County Fair Interim CEO Mike Francesconi is underway, and a scalable event budget is in development to allow for a successful 2025 celebration.
“Our community has a history of grassroots support that has sustained numerous local institutions and services,” says Bird. “Even small donations can help make a big impact for Mule Days.”
The Board recognizes that their appeal comes when many may face financial strain, particularly with the holiday season approaching. Yet they are hopeful, drawing inspiration from Mule Days’ early years, when founder Bob Tanner rallied neighbors and small businesses to support the event, literally $10, $20, and $50 at a time. The Mule Days Board invites community members and supporters to contribute what they can to keep this iconic tradition alive.
“Great events are not always built on a handful of corporate checks,” Tanner once said. “Neighbors build great events. That’s what built Mule Days.”
To donate or learn more about how to help, please call (760) 872-4263 and speak with Donna Bird, executive director. Donations can also be made through the Mule Days website www.muledays.org.
Bishop Mule Days Celebration
Frequently Asked Questions
In response to our many generous donors and those who share a concern and love of Mule Days, we wanted to share some insights, answer questions and update on our status as we move ahead to 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Q: Is Mule Days going to happen? A: Yes. We are moving ahead with plans for 2025 and the future looks bright. There are always unexpected turns and twists, but as volunteers serving as Board members and committee chairs we are planning how best to move forward and building a business plan accordingly.
- Q: Is the fundraising to cover debt or to ensure future events? A: Both. There have been a series of issues over the last 4 years that converged last year to incur debt. That said, dollars coming in, both in revenue and donations are to assist with a debt payment plan while simultaneously investing and planning for future shows, including 2025.
- Q: How did Mule Days get into debt? A: this one takes a bit more to explain, but can best be summed up with astronomical administrative increases that came about in large part to 3 major events.
- What do you mean “administrative costs”? A:
- Covid Pandemic: The cancellation of the 2020 event was one issue. However, the State of California kept the State in a limited status of opening well into 2021. Being in Inyo County, any event was only allowed to operate at 25% of normal occupancy by Memorial Day weekend of 2021. However, thanks to the generosity of thousands of sponsors, RV’ers, contestants, vendors and ticket holders, we were able to ‘pay it forward’ when the event was forced to cancel in 2020. Due to the situation in 2021, BMD essentially covered 2 years of meeting operation costs (minimal staff, rent, insurance, etc.) and putting on the event with about 50% of normal revenue. As much as BMD would have liked to go beyond 25% capacity, the event takes place at a State-owned Fairgrounds facility, (a separate entity) which would not allow increased capacity. We actually had to turn spectators, RV’ers and visitors away in 2021.
- Unfavorable terms of lease/rent of the Eastern Sierra Fairgrounds. Beginning in 2018 conditions for lease began not only increasing, but providing diminishing assets that had always been a part of the lease contract. At worst, the contract costs and subsequent, ‘commodities billings’ amounted to over $120,000 while simultaneously reducing BMD abilities to bring in revenue by such changes as removing saleable RV sites, removing parking areas, removing alcohol sales from the contract and exclusively retaining these revenue streams. The loss of income from these sources was significant, while increasing costs left Mule Days with fewer options to find replacement revenue. Negotiations were not allowed as without a contract in place the BMD event could not go on.
- Astronomical increase in the cost of General Liability Insurance and Director and Officers Insurance: All forms of insurance in California have skyrocketed in the last few years, with a significant majority of insurers pulling out of California. Such was the case with Mule Days insurance, causing us to find new coverage which came with a significantly higher rate.
- Q: Is Mule Days a 501(C)3 non-profit? A: Yes, but only as of January 2024. Donations are 100% tax deductible.
- Q: I’ve heard that BMD has been struggling financially for years? A: Not really. Like any event we’ve had our ups and downs. Our guests have struggled with high fuel prices to travel and economy fluctuations. But mostly BMD has been healthy for most of it’s 54 years. In the early years there was some debt that was quickly paid off by local merchants who saw occupancy rates jump in 1970 from an average of 25% to 100% over the years. During much of our history there were financial reserves that were often invested in infrastructure at the Fairgrounds or even to assist in hosting other events such as the CHSRA Rodeo Finals. During the Covid years we had to spend down the reserves we had, but still were mostly on track. The perfect storm of unfavorable Fairgrounds contracts and economic concerns/fuel prices in 2024 that led to low visitation from our RV fans was a big hit that led to the current situation.
- Q: Is BMD really sustainable going forward and is there really interest in ‘western type’ or mule events like this? A: Absolutely! Our youth divisions and targeted youth activities have never been more vibrant and full! Classes for our youth competitors have higher numbers of contestants then we’ve seen since the 1980’s. As the equine world goes, mules are more popular nationwide then they’ve been in decades and it’s only growing. While other breeds are seeing downtrends, that is remarkably not so with mules. While this may be a trend, we intend to do our part to feed the popularity of mules with the wholesome and vibrant message of why they are worthy of celebration.
- Q: What is the BMD Board doing to fix this going forward? A: There have been a number of steps taken so far including a fundraising campaign. First, the Board met with Committee chairs in September to determine if there was willingness to find a path forward. This was affirmative. From there, the Board has met with various entities from the City and Chamber of Commerce to determine if there was a will to save BMD. There was. Next, discussions with the new interim manager of the Fairgrounds began. These have been very favorable. He understands what is at stake and through clear economics has determined that the event not only must go on, but in seeking comparative models of events has found contract terms that are fair and equitable. Next, a budget committee is in the works to evaluate costs, determine how to build a slimmed down budget and cut where needed. Also, we have retained additional professional bookkeeping to assist with Quickbooks. This is vital as we work towards budgeting and maximizing revenue while cutting where we have losses. Stay tuned for more, as updates will follow.
- Q: Do you need volunteers? A: Always! One of our biggest needs right now is a “Volunteer Coordinator”. In the past this role was filled by someone who could assess where the need was, while determining a potential volunteer’s interest. We have several committees that need volunteers and in the spirit of succession planning would like to bring on individuals and families who can ‘shadow’ a committee chair to learn all aspects of their particular area. Come join us!
- Q: Where are you in fundraising? A: As of this date (12/27/24) we are more than half way to our goal. Visit our website as we will work to keep the fundraising efforts updated there: www.muledays.org
- Q: We’ve heard BMD lost all its sponsors? A: After the pandemic and the economic downturn, we have seen some of our national sponsors end their sponsorship. Actually, Brands like Dodge and Justin have pulled out of rodeos and events all around the Country focusing instead on a small number of extremely high value events – such as the largest Rodeo’s in the Country. While it’s understandable for large corporations to focus on events that reach the largest audience, we have seen a number of smaller companies, local businesses and niche brands step in to sponsor. We will be focusing more on these smaller brands. To be clear, many companies such as this require fewer demands in return, provide higher value and fit our visitors and locals well. We are so grateful to these many sponsors!
It should also be noted that with the loss of the alcohol sales we have lost accessibility to high visibility acts such as the Budweiser Clydesdales or the Coors Belgians which increase ticket sales.
- Q: Will the event and show be different than it has in recent years? A: most likely, yes. We have to trim our budget. There are high cost activities that are very popular that don’t necessarily pay for themselves. These will be under review. In addition, the Charles Brown Auditorium is undergoing significant repairs and will not be available this year for the concert or dance. We are looking at alternatives.
We hope this has been helpful and provides insight as well as transparency. It is important to note that BMD has always been a volunteer organization with a single year-round employee. We do bring on seasonal employees as the event gears up, but volunteers are the heart and soul of Mule Days. From the Board to all the committee chairs. These are commitments that in many cases require a full year of work and preparation. We are so grateful for those who have carried the banner of BMD for so long and those who have joined on recently. Our volunteers come from all over the Nation and do so thanks to a love of the Eastern Sierra as well as the mules we all celebrate. Many of our volunteers are not even equine owners, but simply love the atmosphere of the event.
In closing, thank you for the past 54 years, we are looking forward to 50 more with your help!
The Bishop Mule Days Board of Directors
Donations can be made here: www.muledays.org or by calling the office: 760-872-4263