With the Ford Mustang’s 61st birthday rapidly approaching, there will be celebrations all over the world to mark the occasion. It is fitting that one of those events will take place at the Mustang Owner’s Museum in Concord, North Carolina, on April 11-12, 2025, in advance of the car’s mid-week birthday on April 17.

Not only is it fitting that a museum dedicated to the Mustang celebrates the big day, but the institution’s late founder, Stephen Hall, created National Mustang Day, which serves as a touchstone for enthusiasts to commemorate their appreciation for this iconic vehicle. After his passing in 2023, both Mustang Day and the museum have continued to prosper.

There will be some special displays on hand at the Mustang Owner’s Museum for the 2025 National Mustang Day event. “This year, we are showcasing first-generation Mustangs. Last year, since Steve Saleen was here, we were showcasing Saleens,” Mischelle Hall of the Mustang Owner’s Museum said. “We have a full-size clay car here, and one of the designers who worked on the program will be here to talk about it.”

“We just want to keep his dream alive. We have a lot of support from the Mustang community, and it’s doing well,” Mischelle Hall, who is committed to maintaining the vision she shared with her late husband, said. That vision is embodied in the museum’s mission statement. “Our passion is to share the Mustang lifestyle with everyone in hopes to educate, inspire, and encourage others to become part of the Mustang community.”

While the Mustang Owner’s Museum celebrates its namesake vehicle year-round, the Mustang’s 61st birthday party offers several special events, including a car show at the museum.

Here’s a preview of the Mustang Day action set for this weekend at the Mustang Owner’s Museum. For the complete schedule, visit the official website.

“This year, like every year since 2016, we are hosting a National Mustang Day event. We are doing a cruise on Friday. This year, we are going to the Petty Museum, and Friday night is the Whole Hog Barbeque,” Hall said. “On Saturday, we are hosting a car show and seminars by Ford Performance and the Ford Design team. We are giving away a Mustang and hosting the Hall of Fame dinner Saturday night.”

Every year in the fall, the museum asks its members to nominate three people for a range of categories. The top three names in each category are put to a vote among the members, who elect the inductees. The previous Mustang Owner’s Museum Hall of Fame members include the likes of Lee Iacocca, Carrol Shelby, John Coletti, Steve Saleen, and more.

The Mustang Owner’s Museum rotates the cars it has on display. During our last visit, we saw Lidio Iacobelli’s iconic Tropical Yellow Fox coupe. We can’t wait to see what is on hand during the National Mustang Day festivities.

This year’s inductees are Mustang Industry: Dave Pericak (former chief engineer of the S197 and S550 Mustang and former Global Director of Ford Performance), Mustang Racing: Bob Tasca (Creator of the 428 Cobra Jet Mustang), Mustang Hobby: Bill Dillard (A founder of the Mustang Club of America), and Mustang Journalism: Steve Turner (Lead Content Creator at FordMuscle.com).

That’s right, your humble author is part of this year’s Mustang Owner’s Museum Hall of Fame class, so we hope to see you this weekend to celebrate the Mustang’s 61st birthday. It should be a great time. For more information on the event, check out the full itinerary here.

During the event, on April 12, the Mustang Owner’s Museum is raffling off this low-mileage 2016 California Special Mustang, but being present isn’t required to win.