The city of Saint Anthony will host events and activities through July 21 to celebrate Pioneer Day.
This year will mark the 89th annual Pioneer Day celebrated in Saint Anthony.
“In 1929, leaders from St. Anthony and Rexburg met to discuss the whether the two cities would continue to organize both July 4th and July 24th celebrations,” according to the Fremont Pioneer Days website. “At that time, it was decided that Rexburg would host the Fourth of July celebration and St. Anthony would celebrate and host the Pioneer Day celebration on July 24th.”
The website also says this event brings families and friends together for reunions.
“The celebration has become such a tradition in the community that each year many family reunions and high school class reunions are scheduled to coincide with the event,” according to the website. “It is a great opportunity for many who have left the community to return and gather and meet with old friends.”
Some of the events and activities Saint Anthony will have include, The Little Mermaid play, a rodeo, a parade, a 5k run, a softball game and a cooked food sale.
Danny Elliot, Chairman of the Pioneer Day festivities in Saint Anthony, told BYU-Idaho Radio the events are like no other in the area.
“The (LDS) wards have really stepped up as far as the float building goes,” Elliott said. “You will not see a better bunch of floats around this area than what you will see in Saint Anthony this Saturday. They are just amazing.”
He said the people in the community are proud to be involved in these festivities.
“The people over here take great pride in this week and we just want it to be a home run,” Elliott said. “So they continue to out due themselves every year.”
Elliott said he hopes those who attend these events are able to create good memories.
“That’s what life is about, memories,” Elliott said. “I just want people to have good memories and to be able to look back in 10 years and go, ‘you remember when we went to the parade and all that candy was raining down on us,’ so things like that, I just want to create good memories.”