Pioneer Day
Learn about a Christian denomination group that pioneered their way to Salt Lake City and began as a divinely restored Church, commonly known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Leverage Pioneer Day to drive heritage tourism, faith-community engagement, and educational content around Utah's founding history and LDS cultural significance.
- Days of '47 Parade coverage: behind-the-scenes access and live event promotion
- Faith & heritage storytelling: 'What 17M+ members believe' educational deep-dives
- Utah tourism angle: 'Walk the pioneer trail' heritage travel packages
- Family history & genealogy tie-in: 'Discover your pioneer roots' content series
It is considered to be an official Utah state holiday, commemorating the first arrival of pioneers to Salt Lake Valley. They were led by Brigham Young, the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from 1847 until 1877.
Young and the group of members of the Church were among the first people to establish Utah as their homeland, traveling from Nauvoo, Illinois, in fear of persecution. Their travels were sparked by the murder of their prophet and leader, Joseph Smith, in June of 1844. Making across the plains of the midwest and over the cliffs of the Rocky Mountains, many lost members due to disease from the cold winter months.
Once they reached Utah, they began farming and sending messages back to inform other members of the Church that “the promised land” had been found. Two years later, a small gathering was held to celebrate their arrival.
The holiday continued to expand as members of the Church continued to push west. Utah is considered to have one of the highest populations of members of the Church in the country, alongside states such as Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and Idaho.
Throughout the day, people shut down their offices and businesses to attend festivals, firework displays, pageants, cookouts, and rodeos. Some also go out dressed like pioneers and reenact the events of the Western expansion.
Learn About the Church’s Beliefs
There are many interesting and surprising facts about the Church members, which you can read more about online or by picking up a book on the subject. The church has over seventeen million members, and it claims that roughly one million people join the religion every three years. Since the 1980s, membership has more than doubled. You can also spend some time reading about the different things that members of the Church believe in so that you can better understand the faith. For example, most members of the Church (94%) believe that the president is actually one of God’s prophets. They also believe that ancient prophets wrote the Book of Mormon. Most of those following this religion also believe that Jesus Christ and God the Father are two separate physical beings. The members of the Church think that families can be united together for eternity in the temple ceremonies. It is certainly interesting to read up on the faith, even if you are not a follower or believer yourself. After all, it can always help to broaden our horizons and see things from a different perspective, right?
Attend a Festival
Take the day off and head to a rodeo or festival. Teach people about the importance of Western expansion for the United States. You can also share the holiday on social media, sharing the history of pioneers everywhere. There are many different events that take place in Salt Lake Valley on this date. The most famous is the Days of ‘47 Parade, which features a procession of entertainers, bands, clowns, horses, and floats. There are also Native American Celebrations, as well as the Days of ‘47 Rodeo and Float Preview Party. In addition, you can spend time reading up about them online and checking out the photographs on blogs and social media. You can also use these events for inspiration, hosting your event to celebrate Pioneer Day. You could turn it into an event for the entire community. Or, you could have a few loved ones around your home and enjoy Pioneer Day together. The choice is yours.