Pioneer Day is on Wednesday, July 24.
Primarily celebrated in the state of Utah, the holiday honors the thousands of pioneers that crossed the plains with their wagons to reach Utah and other Western states.
What is Pioneer Day?
“Completing a treacherous thousand-mile exodus, an ill and exhausted Brigham Young and fellow members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints arrived in Utah’s Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847,” per the Library of Congress. “The Mormon pioneers viewed their arrival as the founding of a Mormon homeland, hence Pioneer Day.”
The magnitude of the pioneer’s trek to the West is significant. According to PBS, they journeyed 1,300 miles across the plains to reach their new home, away from persecution and unrest. Thousands of families decided to take on harsh weather and difficult conditions to find a more permanent place to live.
“July 24 is still celebrated as Pioneer Day in Utah and several other Western states,” says the Library of Congress’s website. “The bravery of the original settlers and their strength of character and physical endurance is commemorated with festivities including games and music, speeches, parades, rodeos, and picnics.”
Things to do in Utah for Pioneer Day 2024
Celebrations of the holiday continue today in the form of fireworks, outdoor activities and food. If you’re going to be in Utah for Pioneer Day, you might like to participate in some of the festivities.
While some of these events are happening on July 24, many others are taking place this weekend.
- Handcart Days: This celebration has been held since 1950 in commemoration of the pioneers. The Days include food and activities at Bountiful City Park, a free concert and a parade.
- Pioneer Days Rodeo: Enjoy a special rodeo in Ogden that honors “the hearty stock of men and women who trekked westward into the golden horizon of the wild west.”
- Commemorative Trek: Participants can go on a hike — dressed in pioneer clothing — to “walk in the footsteps” of pioneers, traveling to the first pioneer campsite in Salt Lake Valley.
- Celebrating the People Powwow: Head over to Sandy to enjoy the 11th Annual “Celebrating the People Powwow,” which is open to the public for $3 per person. Individuals over the age of 65 or six years old and under may enter for free.
- La Guelaguetza: Enjoy a celebration filled with food, music and performances at Heritage Park in Kaysville, Utah.
- Fireworks: Come watch a firework show at 9:30 p.m. at University Place, Orem. Guests can also enjoy performances, food and yard games.
- Parade: The Days of ‘47 Parade is one of the oldest parades in the United States, complete with colorful floats, horses and bands.
- Deseret News Marathon: Work up an appetite for Pioneer Day fun by starting Wednesday with a 5K, 10K, half marathon or marathon race. This year, the event also includes a 1K family race.
- Mapleton Celebration: Head to Mapleton for additional festivities, including a parade, a 5K, a fireworks show and live entertainment.
- Provo Pioneer Village: “The Pioneer Village contains the original structures built by these pioneers, including the Turner Cabin, the Haws Cabin, the Loveless Home, a granary, school, woodshop, corn crib, outhouse, and more,” per the Provo Pioneer Village website. Visit to learn more about what the pioneers experienced when they first settled in Utah.
- Pioneer Memorial Museum: This museum contains a large amount of historical relics and pioneer treasures.