What is Pioneer Day?

View of the Mormon (Latter-Day Saints) Temple at Salt Lake City, Utah; Tabernacle roof visible; railroad track in foreground. Photo: Denver Public Library Special Collections

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Given Utah’s tremendous growth of late- the state’s population has increased over 16% since 2010- it’s likely many people are celebrating their first Pioneer Day.

So, what is the holiday and what does it represent?

On July 24, 1847 – Brigham Young and his crew representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints finally arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley from their settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois.

The Mormons migrated West because of religious persecution. The trip was catalyzed by the murder of founder Joseph Smith in mid-1844.

By the end of 1847, it is estimated that nearly 2,000 Mormons had settled in the Salt Lake Valley.

The pioneers journeyed through the plains and the Rocky Mountains, losing many in their party to disease during the cold winter months.

When Brigham Young finally reached the Salt Lake Valley from the mouth of Emigration Canyon, he is said to have famously declared: “It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on.”

Festivities typically include parades, fireworks (not this year), and rodeos. Most local and all state-run government offices, along with many businesses are closed on Pioneer Day.