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IVINS, Washington County — Gov.-elect Spencer Cox revealed his plans Saturday for his upcoming Jan. 4 inauguration, and announced the ceremony will take place not in Salt Lake City but at a venue in the Washington County town of Ivins.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. that day at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts. In a prerecorded announcement video, Cox said the inauguration will be the first ever held in rural Utah.
In addition to Cox, the inauguration will also include Lt. Gov.-elect Deidre Henderson and reelected incumbents Attorney General Sean Reyes, Treasurer David Damschen and Auditor John Dougall, all Republicans. The ceremony will be held outdoors, Cox announced, with COVID-19 precautions including masks, physical distancing and limited attendance.
"We are working closely with (the Utah Department of Health) to ensure a safe event for everyone," Cox tweeted Saturday.
A limited number of tickets are still available to the ceremony and can be requested at utahinauguralcommission.org.
In addition to the ceremony, Cox and Henderson invited Utahns to participate in what Henderson called a "statewide, grassroots food drive to help Utah families in need."
"We're calling this the One Utah Food Drive," Cox said. "If you can spare time, money or food, please visit utahinauguralcommission.org to help feed the 511,000 Utahns who experience hunger each day."
Hey Utah! Along with the Utah Inaugural Commission, @DeidreHenderson and I are excited to announce that our inauguration will be held on January 4th at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts (@Tuacahn) in Ivins, UT. /1 pic.twitter.com/aSWM4z5wrY
— Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) December 5, 2020
Cox and Henderson are planning other events surrounding inauguration day, including an in-person food drive to wrap up the One Utah campaign; more details about those events will be released in the coming weeks, Cox's office said.
Cox, the current Utah lieutenant governor, defeated Democratic candidate Chris Peterson in the November general election to become Utah's first new governor since 2009.
