SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — People in Utah are gathering to celebrate the state’s history and recognize early settlers who trekked West in search of religious freedom.
Pioneer Day is celebrated in Utah and select communities throughout the West around July 24 that features parades, rodeos, fireworks and more. The festivities were canceled last year.
Hundreds of people camped outside Friday to stake out spots along the parade route in downtown Salt Lake City.
July 24, 1847, Brigham Young, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and other Church members, many pulling handcarts, ended their treacherous journey across the country from Illinois and discovered the Salt Lake Valley.
Many businesses and government offices close for the occasion.
