Trumpets, drumbeats and cheers followed glittering parade floats down the city streets on Saturday for the annual Days of ‘47 Parade.
The event commemorated the 1847 arrival of Brigham Young and a group of Latter-day Saint pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley, so many parade participants donned bonnets and dresses in honor of those pioneers. But other attendees just came out to enjoy an ice cream cone and celebrate on a hot summer day.
“[It’s] just a fun event for the family,” said Heather Okane, who attended with her 4-year-old twins. “It’s just a fun Utah tradition to join in with.”
Dan Line came out to the parade with his family from Logan, since his daughter Addison is now a student at the University of Utah. They’d never attended Salt Lake City’s parade before, but enjoy celebrating the holiday wherever they are.
“We’re LDS, so we connect to that heritage and want to know more about those people who came out and started the state,” Line said as he watched the parade. “Seeing all the different people that contribute to society, whether it’s church groups, political groups, military — we have a lot to be thankful for.”
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) People participate in the Days of ’47 Parade in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 23, 2022.
The parade ended at Liberty Park, where drumbeats continued through the afternoon during the annual Native American Celebration and Intertribal Powwow. This celebration featured booths selling food, wood carvings and even filled churros.
Iris Gonzalez hosted a booth that sold handcrafted Mexican beadwork. Gonzalez her family love to support local events and have lived in Utah for 15 years now.
“I think any sort of representation with any other cultures than the current culture that we live in is phenomenal,” Gonzalez said. “I’m all about learning about other people’s culture, and being able to respectfully understand it and embrace and join with them is so cool.”
