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Price • In many ways, this southeastern Utah town of about 10,000 has changed little in the past half century.
People still leave their doors unlocked. Women walk home alone at night. No one is a stranger.
Especially at such times as this weekend, when the town celebrated Price City International Days, three days of fun, food, and on Saturday morning, a parade.
One of the biggest cheers from the hundreds in the crowd, many sitting in fold-out chairs lining Main Street, came as the Adrenaline Cheer Team tumbled by.
The area boasts three freestyle cheer teams for girls ages 3 to 18: Adrenaline, Fierce All-Stars and the newest, Helper Flare.
Price native Cathy Angotti Davis said the Fierce team boasts more than 50 girls who compete in regional competitions. The team placed third a few years ago at nationals in Los Angeles.
"This is a community where everyone knows everyone," Angotti Davis said. "And in times of trouble, there's help."
Residents boast about their diversity. Greeks, Italians, Latinos, Chinese and Japanese, among others helped found the town, which opened up after the railroad was completed in 1883. The immigrants came to work in the nearby coal mines.
"We have lots of ethnicities here," Price fire chief Paul Bedont said. "That's what makes it special."
It's believed the town got its names from Mormon Bishop William Price of Goshen, who explored the area in 1869.
International Days includes three days of activities such as the pool party, a 5K run, and every evening, vendors sell food representing the area's diversity. There's also the movie-in-the-park event, which was to show "The Hobbit" on Saturday night.
"I love that it's small and all the people are supportive," said Nora Larson, who moved to Price 35 years ago. "When there was the coal mine disaster in Huntington a few years back, everyone came together as a community."
Ken Anderson, who attended his third festival this year, called it "a special experience."
"Everyone gets together for a good time, to eat and to enjoy," Anderson said, sitting in his camping chair as the parade passed. "They just knock themselves out."
More than 65 groups participated in Saturday's parade, from the JROTC drill team to the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, dressed in sun bonnets while sitting on a flatbed trailer waving to the crowd.
Festival-goers also could tour the nearby Prehistoric Museum. Visitors spoke of hiking and camping in locales such as Nine Mile Canyon. Members of the Fremont and Ute tribes left their mark on the remote area, as did pioneer settlers, leaving traces behind such as rock art and crumbling homesteads.
"Everybody likes a little excitement, a little joy, a little variety," Price resident Jerry Enwall said.
Six miles from Price is the town of Helper, which will celebrate the annual Helper Arts & Music Festival Aug. 16-18.
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