This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Horses and heroes. Pioneers and princesses. Floats and faith.
Friday's annual Days of '47 Parade delivered all the necessities for its 250,000-plus fans.
"I figured I wasn't going to be a real Utahn until I did this," Lindsey Parry said.
The Holladay resident moved to Utah four years ago and — like many spectators — camped overnight along the parade route to get a front-row seat.
Parry, her friend Lizzy Saltsman and their young children didn't get much sleep, but they didn't care. "It was like a tailgate party with ice cream and movies and people handing out flags and glow sticks," said Saltsman.
And that was all before the parade began.
The 2015 edition of the Pioneer Day parade featured 120 entries, including 50 floats, a dozen or so horse-drawn wagons and high-school marching bands, as well as some of Utah's oldest war heroes riding in restored Army Jeeps.
One veteran, Alan Young, served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam.
"We're excited to be able to honor them and their services," said parade co-chairwoman Jodene Smith.
While there are many Days of '47 activities that honor the Mormon pioneers who 168 years ago rode wagons or walked into the Salt Lake Valley in hopes of finding religious freedom, the parade is the main attraction. Between 250,000 and 300,000 people attend every year from all over the state and country, Smith said. One of the horse riders traveled from Oklahoma to participate, and one of the antique-car owners, a former Utahn, now lives in Connecticut.
"He houses the car here, but flies back every year for the parade," Smith said.
Ken and Audrey Day and their friends Bryn and Rebecca Peterson came from Cedar City. They attended the rodeo Thursday night and got up at 4 a.m. to find a shady spot along the parade route, which stretched mostly along 200 East from South Temple to 900 South and ended at Liberty Park.
"With the big floats and bands, it's the best parade ever," said Ken Day, who attended the parade as a child and wants to keep the "family tradition" going.
The same can be said for Lolita Tuero of Millcreek.
"I've been doing this parade since my children were little," she said.
Now the kids are grown and she has two young grandchildren who were attending for the first time. Her niece from New Mexico drove up and brought her children, too. "It's a tradition, and it's fun to be part of community."
Tuero said she looks forward to the colorful and faith-promoting floats. "When my kids were little, their eyes would just light up," she said. "Now I can't wait for my grandchildren to see them."
For those who make floats, the parade is the culmination of more than eight months of work, Smith said. Stakes in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are given a parade theme in October. This year, it was "Forging a New Frontier." Then they draw up a plan and assemble a building and decorating team. In January, once they receive a float base, they spend the next four to six months completing it.
"It's great that the Utah community enjoys remembering the sacrifice and dedication and determination those pioneers had to come to this valley," Smith said. "It's memorable and it has endured."
But what would the pioneers say of the celebration their long trek created?
"They would be excited to see that we remember their efforts," Tuero said. "And who's to say they're not with us now?"
On the flip side, they might think their descendants were a bit crazy, Parry joked. "They'd probably say, 'We didn't walk all this way to have you act like you don't have a house.' "