Pony Express Days is almost here, and McKinleyville is getting ready for one of our favorite community traditions.

This year’s theme is Coastal Roots, Western Boots, and the celebration runs May 28 through June 7, with events happening throughout town. From the Kick Off Mixer and community dance to the Chili Cook-Off, parade, pancake breakfast, and festival at Pierson Park. During Pony Express week you can really feel McKinleyville come to life.

It is fun, yes.

But it is also more than that.

Pony Express Days is about community pride, local businesses, families, volunteers, service clubs, and neighbors all helping create something that feels uniquely McKinleyville.

What Is Pony Express Days?

Pony Express Days has been part of McKinleyville since 1968. Over the years, it has grown and changed, but the heart of it has stayed the same: bringing the community together.

It is a chance to celebrate where we live, support local businesses, enjoy time with friends and family, and be part of a tradition that has meant something to McKinleyville for generations.

Some people come for the parade. Some come for the chili. Some come for the festival. Some just for the feeling of seeing the whole town show up.

That is what makes it special.

What’s Happening This Year

There is a lot planned for Pony Express Days 2026.

The celebration begins with the Kick Off Mixer on Thursday, May 28 at McKinleyville ACE from 5:30 to 7 p.m. This is a great way to start the week, connect with local businesses, and build excitement for the events ahead.

The Community Dance will be Saturday, May 29 at Six Rivers Brewery from 7 to 10 p.m. with free entry and an all-ages atmosphere.

The Pie Eating Contest is Wednesday, June 3 at Six Rivers Brewery at 6 p.m.

The Chili Cook-Off will be Thursday, June 4 at Pierson Park from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with local teams serving up chili for the community to taste.

Then on Saturday, June 6, the day starts with the parade down Central Avenue at 11 a.m., running from Murray Road to School Road. After the parade, the festival continues at Pierson Park from noon to 4 p.m. with live music, kids activities, food trucks, vendors, and pony rides.

How Local Businesses Can Get Involved

Pony Express Days is a great time for local businesses to be visible and part of the excitement.

A few simple ways to participate:

Put up a Pony Express Days poster in your window
Share event posts on social media
Enter the window decorating contest
Bring a raffle prize to the Kick Off Mixer
Enter the parade
Encourage your customers to attend events
Sponsor, volunteer, or help spread the word

You do not have to do something huge to be part of it. Even a poster in the window or a shared post helps build the energy around town.

This year’s window decorating theme is Coastal Roots, Western Boots, and it is a fun way for businesses to help bring the celebration into storefronts and public spaces.

How Residents Can Join the Fun

If you live in McKinleyville, this is a great week to show up and enjoy your community.

Invite a friend to the Kick Off Mixer. Bring the family to the Chili Cook-Off. Cheer from the parade route. Grab lunch from a food truck. Walk through the festival. Support the vendors. Take photos. Say hello to someone you know. Bring someone who has never been before.

These are the simple things that make community traditions feel alive.

Why It Matters

Events like Pony Express Days do not just happen casually.

They happen because businesses sponsor, volunteers and service clubs step up, vendors participate, parade entries get creative, families attend, and the community decides it is worth showing up.

That matters.

In a growing community like McKinleyville, traditions like this help us stay connected. They give people a reason to gather and remember that community is something we build together.

Pony Express Days is fun, but it is also one of the ways McKinleyville tells its story.

And this year, we are excited to continue to add to that story.

Stay Connected

For the full schedule, applications, tickets, volunteer opportunities, and event updates, visit the Pony Express Days page on the McKinleyville Chamber website.

View Pony Express Days Details

Enter the Parade
Volunteer for Pony Express Days

Supporting local businesses does not always have to mean making a big purchase.

Of course, buying local matters. Dining at a local restaurant, shopping at a local store, booking a local service, or choosing a local professional all make a real difference.

But there are also smaller ways to support local businesses that cost very little, or nothing at all.

Here in McKinleyville, our local businesses help shape the everyday feel of our community. They sponsor events, donate raffle prizes, employ local people, support schools and youth programs, show up for fundraisers, volunteer, serve on committees, and help make community traditions possible.

When we support them, we are also supporting the community around them.

1. Choose Local When You Can

You do not have to do everything locally all the time. Life is busy, budgets matter, and sometimes convenience wins.

But when you have the choice, choosing local adds up.

That might mean grabbing lunch from a McKinleyville restaurant, buying a gift from a local shop, hiring a local contractor, using a local insurance office, visiting a local salon, booking with a local lodging property, or calling a local service provider first.

Those choices help keep money moving through our community and help local businesses stay strong.

2. Leave a Good Review

A positive review can make a big difference, especially for a small business.

If you had a good experience, take a minute to leave a review on Google, Facebook, Yelp, or wherever that business shows up online.

It does not have to be long or fancy. A few honest sentences can help the next person feel confident choosing that business, pictures can add even more of a positive impact!

Something as simple as, “Great service, friendly staff, and easy to work with,” can go a long way.

3. Share Their Posts

Social media is one of the easiest ways to support local.

When a business posts about a special, event, job opening, new product, fundraiser, or update, sharing it helps more people see it.

You can also like, comment, tag a friend, or save the post for later. Those little actions help boost the post and remind the algorithm that people care about what that business is sharing.

And for the business owner or staff member behind the post, it is also just encouraging to know someone is paying attention.

4. Tell Someone About a Business You Love

Word of mouth still matters.

If you love a local business, tell someone. Recommend them when a friend asks for ideas. Tag them in a comment. Mention them to a neighbor. Bring someone with you next time you stop in.

Sometimes the best support is simply helping someone else discover a business they might not have known about yet.

5. Use the Chamber Business Directory

When you are looking for a local business, service, restaurant, nonprofit, or organization, the McKinleyville Chamber Business Directory is a great place to start.

Our directory includes Chamber members from many different industries, including food, lodging, retail, health and wellness, professional services, construction, real estate, community organizations, and more.

Before heading straight to a search engine, take a quick look through the directory and see who is right here in McKinleyville and the surrounding area.

Small Actions Add Up

Supporting local is not about doing everything perfectly.

It is about noticing the businesses around us and choosing to support them when we can.

Buy local when it makes sense. Leave the review. Share the post. Tell a friend. Check the directory. Show up.

Small actions really do help, and they help keep McKinleyville connected, active, and strong.

Explore the McKinleyville Chamber Business Directory and find local businesses to support today.

Tag: support local

Your Guide to Pony Express Days 2026 in McKinleyville