Utah’s Other July Holiday



Utah’s Other July Holiday


With this title, some of you may be thinking that I am talking about the 4th of July, I am not.  The 4th will always be #1 in this guy’s book.  Not just because we get the day off either.  Nope, my national game is strong, but I do love me some Pioneer Days and all the goings on associated with it:  rodeos, parades, family BBQs, furniture and car sales all celebrating July 24, 1847.

What?  You aren’t familiar with the 24th of July?  Did you just move to Utah?  Been living under a rock?  Wanting to know why this hasn’t turned into a drinking day akin to St. Patty’s day and Cinco de Mayo?  Well, let me break it down for you.

Let’s skin out (that’s how they talked back then, John Wayne, told me so)


On Saturday, July 24, 1847, Brigham Young, and his band of hardy Mormon pioneers made their way into the Salt Lake Valley.  The culmination of a long and arduous journey/exodus (think Moses) from Nauvoo, IL.  Keep in mind, this trek wasn’t made in air-conditioned minivans and SUVs (today’s version of covered wagons in Utah) with car-toppers. 

Embrace the suck.

Nope, this cross-country journey was made by walking.  Yeah, walking.  However, If you were lucky you had a hand cart filled with a few of the essentials.  Those that live in the foothills and gated communities today would have had a covered wagon pulled by oxen (think big cows).  This wasn’t a fun, selfie-taking hike to Delicate Arch or to Angel’s landing with a stay in a local motel along the way.  This really was a testament to the human spirit.


This is the place


Yeah, this started as a no joke winter escape from Skull Island, complete with an angry mob carrying torches and burning everything in sight.  This walkabout ended right here in Utah.  Mind you it was not the paradise it is today.  Nope, it was quite literally a dustbowl - barren and dry, unless of course you count sagebrush as lush vegetation. 

Ah...paradise.

There were a few streams running into the valley, but let’s get real, they were coming from the Midwest where water flows like, well, water.  These were more like trickles.  However, they had a big beautiful lake to the northwest…*record scratch*…yeah, a dead, life taking body of table salt.  Yet, after seeing all of this, Brother Brigham proclaimed (which I assume was followed by a smattering of boos and furtive glances), “This is the place.”

Now we rodeo

Of course, there wasn’t much celebrating (surviving was pretty much the daily chore at the time), at least not until 1857 when the first Pioneer Day celebrations occurred.  This was the start of something great, I mean think about it, what would we do without the Days of 47 Parade and Rodeo?  Which I think is pretty fitting since the first thing the pioneers did was unhitch the wagons and ride and rope the oxen…and of course, build floats and march through the sagebrush.  I could be wrong on that.

Just like great-great-great grandma used to do!

But no matter what you think about it, July 24th is a pretty dang good time.  I mean we get two HUGE holidays in July (well, the state does, we don’t).  Two days to remember our past and our heritage.  Two days to represent freedom from oppression.

To me, both the 4th and the 24th are two more reasons to wave Ol’ Glory in celebration of what our country represents.  Above all else I get to whoop and holler, ride an angry bull, ring a bottle, win a bear, and eat cotton candy just like my ancestors did!


...let freedom ring!

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