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SANDY — Parade fans got up close and personal with their favorite floats at the Days of '47 Float Preview Party Monday at Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy.
Tom Colligan, co-chair of the Days of '47 Float Preview Party, said he expects a combined 20,000 to 30,000 people to attend the sneak peek, which continues Tuesday.
Colligan said the majority of the floats displayed at the 25th annual float preview were made by volunteers, and a handful were professionally made. About 37 of the more than 100 floats set to participate in Wednesday's Days of '47 parade were present Monday morning.
At the showing, floats made by church groups, businesses, city governments and universities demonstrated the parade's theme — Journey of Hope: A Pioneer’s Legacy.
Among the float creators were Kim and Doug Roylance, of the Riverton Western Springs Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who co-chaired the creation of their "Tortoise and the Hare"-themed float.
"We wanted to find something … that the kids could understand and recognize," Doug Roylance said. "As we were looking at different fables and stories, we decided 'The Tortoise and the Hare' would be a fun thing to build around."
The float depicts a colorful tortoise crossing a finish line, as other animals cheer and a carrot-munching hare lies on a hammock.
"Not only did we have a lot of volunteer hours, there were probably 500 different volunteers that touched this float," Kim Roylance said.
Standing in front of the Real Salt Lake float's giant soccer ball, April Carlson, of Herriman, said because she won't be able to attend this year's parade on Wednesday, she instead brought her four children to the preview party.
"We do this every year. We love to see the floats up close and personal," she said.
Carlson, who called herself and family "big soccer fans," looks forward to seeing the local soccer team's float each year.
Her 9-year-old daughter, Kaylee Carlson, was keen on a two-headed dragon float.
Other float builders took their creations a step further by making them interactive.
A float created by the Bennion Utah West Stake featured stands where people could write letters to send to military personnel. The North Salt Lake Legacy Stake gave out taffy to those who completed their float's scavenger hunt.
The event also attracted people from outside of Utah.
Visiting from Bolivia and joined by his family, Brandon Claros said it was his first preview party and brought his camera to take photos of the decorative floats.
Paul Butler, of the South Jordan Founders Park Stake, said the idea behind his stake's giant whale float was to illustrate a pioneer kid making a voyage across the ocean with sea creatures. The float titled, "Journey of Hope — All Is Whale!" is a play on the Latter-day Saint hymn "All Is Well."
Like so many other float builders, Lashell Johnson began preparations for the Salt Lake City Cannon Stake float a year ago.
She said the lighthouse-themed float fits the parade's theme because lighthouses act as guides for boats in "treacherous waters."
Johnson, who built the float's 14-foot tall lighthouse, said it includes a revolving beacon and is held together by 500 screws.
"It was a joy to make," she said. "It was a lot of work, but it was fun."
She said people of all ages contributed to creating the float.
Colligan said the preview event allows those looking to avoid hot outdoor temperatures to take a look at the floats in a cooler environment.
Aside from the face painting and balloon booths, Colligan said the event is free to the public. The preview will run Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
This year's Days of '47 Parade is planned to begin Wednesday at 9 a.m. The route begins at South Temple and State Street.
