People watched as wagons rolled into Downtown Salt Lake City during the "Days of 47 Parade" in 1997. Photo: Alex Garcia/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Pioneer Day is next week.
Catch up quick: For those who don’t already know, the state holiday commemorates when Latter-day Saints pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.
- The holiday's celebrations often rival Independence Day festivities.
Here's your guide to the jamboree:
Days of '47 Rodeo
Bareback riding, steer wrestling and bull riding go down at the annual rodeo.
The intrigue: Riders will compete for medals this year.
When: Today through July 24 at 7:30pm
Where: Utah State Fairpark
Cost: Tickets start at $15 per person
- Yes, but: Tickets aren't required to attend the rodeo's "Fun Zone," starting at 4:30pm, which will feature mechanical bull rides, a petting zoo, pony rides and food trucks.
Float Preview Party
The public can get a sneak peek of the floats that will be showcased in the annual parade and vote for their favorites.
When: July 21–22 from 11am–9pm
Where: Mountain America Expo Center (9575 State St., Sandy)
Deseret News Marathon
- Runners can participate in the full marathon, half marathon, 10K or 5K. Registration is still open.
When: The full marathon starts at 5:30am on July 24. Start times for the other races vary.
Where: The full marathon will begin at Big Mountain, mirroring the trek pioneers took to get to the Salt Lake Valley.
Days of '47 Parade
Considered one of the oldest parades in the U.S., many die-hard attendees have been going to this parade for decades.
- Some even reserve spaces with their lawn chairs days ahead.
When: July 24 at 9am
Where: The parade begins at the intersection of State Street and South Temple and ends at Liberty Park.
Native American Celebration
The all-day event honors tribes that lived in Utah long before pioneers settled here.
- The celebration will feature a powwow, arts and crafts vendors, food booths and live music.
When: July 24
Where: Liberty Park
Cost: Powwow admission is $5.
- Children age 3 or under and people 65 or over get in for free.
Pioneer Day drones
For the second year in a row, the city is ditching traditional fireworks in favor of a drone show.
When: July 24
Where: Liberty Park at 10pm
For those who don't celebrate, we also have suggestions for the cheeky alternative Pie 'n' Beer Day:
Try six pairings
One of our favorite watering holes is hosting what they call "the world's largest celebration of pie and beer."
- The event is anticipated to serve over 10,000 slices of pies. Twenty-five breweries and 25 kitchens will participate.
When: July 24 from noon–4pm
Where: Beer Bar
Cost: $40 for six pie and beer pairings
Two kinds of pie
Powder Mountain ski resort is serving pizza, dessert pie and beer at a high elevation.
Where: Bower Lodge (926 N Wolf Creek Drive, Eden)
When: July 24 from 5–9pm
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