5 Pioneer Day activities and festivals for families

5 Pioneer Day activities and festivals for families


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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has long celebrated its pioneers with a dedicated state holiday, filled with activities, pageants and fireworks. Reaching back to its 1847 roots when pioneers settled in the Salt Lake Valley, Pioneer Day rivals the Fourth of July in festivities and celebrations.

Cities and communities hold their own festivities every year, many with grand firework shows. Here is a list of events and celebrations across the state:

Butlerville Days

There’s something for every family member at Cottonwood Heights’ summer celebration, which will take place at Butler Park at 7500 S. 2700 East. The all-day event begins at 3 p.m. and carries on into the evening, ending at 10 p.m. with a fireworks show.

The festivities kick off with a parade and there will be live on-stage entertainment, including music and a pie eating contest, throughout the afternoon and evening. Kids can participate in a Home Depot workshop, a fire course, old-fashioned games as well as play on inflatables or get their faces painted.

For adults, there will be an antique car show, a mechanical bull, as well as a juggling show and magician.

Ticket prices vary depending on events and activity.

Fiddlers and Fireworks

Heber puts an unconventional spin on Utah’s tradition of Pioneer Day fireworks by boarding spectators onto a historic train with a scenic route.

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The evening first begins with dinner at 7 p.m., and then continues on a two-hour train ride where spectators will be serenaded with a troop of fiddlers. The train travels from the Heber depot to Decker Bay along the shores of Deer Creek Reservoir. The train will stop to watch the Charleston fireworks across the lake, and then report to go back to the depot.

Plan for about three hours for the entire trip. Tickets are $38 for adults and $24 for children.

Fiesta Days

The Spanish Fork celebration will be jam-packed with activities for family members of all ages. The morning will begin with a booster club breakfast at 7 a.m. at Spanish Fork High School. Two races will be held July 24 as well: a 10k race at 6:30 a.m. starting at Canyon View Park and the 19th Annual Speedy Spaniard Mile Run at 7:30 a.m. at 100 East.

The rest of the day will be filled with vendors, a parade, craft fair, and a quilt parade. There will be entertainment in the park starting at 10:30 a.m., featuring a variety of local entertainment and performers.

There will also be museum tours with the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, a rodeo, “Spanish Fork’s Got Talent” finals and a big fireworks show at the end of the night at the Spanish Fork Sports Park.

Take your pick of the long list of activities, but all are in pretty close proximity of one another.

Days of ‘47

The ongoing celebration in Salt Lake City will include a variety of activities, beginning with the Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. at the Tabernacle on Temple Square. The Pioneer Chapter of the Sons of Utah Pioneers will present the service to honor Utah’s pioneers. It will feature the Tabernacle organist as well as choirs from around the valley.

Marching band music, miniature covered wagons 
made out of plastic kid's wagons and floats 
kicked off pioneer-themed events Saturday.
Marching band music, miniature covered wagons made out of plastic kid's wagons and floats kicked off pioneer-themed events Saturday.

Along with the patriotic and religious music, an inspirational message will be delivered to the crowd. Admission to the service is free.

Colorful floats will parade the streets of Salt Lake City in the the Days of ‘47 parade, presented by KSL 5 and the Workers Compensation Fund, as part of the celebration. It will begin at South Temple and State Street at 9 a.m., then head toward Liberty Park.

Days of ‘47 will also put on a rodeo in the evening, as well as their Frontier Camp during the day.

Utah Pioneer Days at West Jordan

Aside from the celebration’s famous pageant and fireworks, the Utah Pioneer Days at West Jordan will provide an array of family friendly activities throughout the day on July 24. There will be free entertainment beginning at 9 a.m. and going through the evening until 9 p.m., as well as food vendors crafts and more.

A dutch oven cook-off will commence at 10 a.m. and there’s a long list of activities every family member can participate in: a petting zoo, sack races, three-legged race, tug of war, dunk tank, zipline, obstacle course, bingo and more.

The night will end with the Youth Pioneer Pageant and a firework finale.

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UtahFamily
Cait Orton

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