Crowded onto Salt Lake City’s sidewalks and curbs, thousands gathered Friday to watch floats, dancers and marching bands stream by in the annual Days of ‘47 Pioneer Day parade.

The parade celebrating the 1847 arrival of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley is typically fronted by a leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This year, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson was the grand marshal of the holiday parade, organized under the theme “Like, Learn, Love Pioneers.” According to a news release, Johnson is descended from those pioneers.

“I know there are pioneers all over the world pioneering in their own ways,” she said in a statement. “I think we ought to emulate the qualities of those early pioneers who were tenacious, sought unity in their efforts and remained faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

People began holding their spots along the parade route days in advance.

As Utah’s members of Congress often do, Sens. John Curtis and Mike Lee — both Latter-day Saints — introduced a resolution Thursday recognizing Pioneer Day. Idaho’s Sen. Mike Crapo, also a member of the faith, joined them.

“The resolution I’m introducing with my colleagues today is about more than honoring the past,” Curtis said on the Senate floor. “It is about carrying forward the virtues that made those pioneers successful: faith, sacrifice, community, industry and perseverance.”

Utahns are allowed to light off fireworks throughout most of the state amid a year in which it has seen historically massive wildfires.

In an executive order late last month, Gov. Spencer Cox gave the state forester authority to issue a statewide fireworks ban over Independence Day weekend, allowing cities to designate areas where fireworks could be used.

Earlier, Cox said he was weighing doing the same for Pioneer Day, but opted to allow fireworks while giving municipalities the option to seek a ban.