I’ve watched my share of Pioneer Day parades in Utah. The most popular one is the Days of ’47 Parade in Salt Lake City on July 24. But in my opinion, the best Pioneer Day Parade is in a rural town just east of Bryce Canyon National Park: Escalante.

If you’ve never experienced the Pioneer Day Parade, you’re missing all the fun.

The 2022 Pioneer Day Parade is scheduled for Saturday, July 23.

Here’s a list of highlights my family looks forward to seeing every year.

Bike Parade Sets the Stage

At 9:30 a.m., 30 minutes prior to the big parade, kids take the stage as the lead act. Bikes of all sizes – and some scooters, too – get decorated up with flags, streamers and balloons. It’s something the kids look forward to doing. If you don’t have a bike, your kids can always join in the parade and decorate themselves – or carry a balloon and flag.

One year, we taped a bubble-blowing machine to the back of my sons Cars scooter. He was proud to be blowing bubbles along the short parade route. Many people enjoyed his design as well.

Once the kids reach the other side of town – which is only about a 1/2 mile – they turn around and join their parents along the parade route.

Unique Pioneer Day Parade Floats with Candy and Freebies

The creativity of the floats will make you laugh. The float in the photo above is from one of the local church’s women’s group (Relief Society). You can see they had a lot of fun with putting their together – complete with costumes to match.

One year, there was a grandpa driving a tractor. Behind him was a train of barrels that had wheels added to them. His grandkids rode in the barrels. It was a fun family float.

You’ve got the customary high school float featuring some of the students, local dignitaries, and a band loaded onto the back of a trailer playing music along the route.

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One of the best parts of the whole parade is the candy and freebies tossed to the audience. We’ve taken home bag-loads of candy, Frisbees, hats, tooth brushes (yes, a dentist did have a float in the parade that year) and more. The kids always look forward to the Otter Pops tossed to the crowd. So remember a pocket knife or pair of scissors so you can open them for the kiddos.

And you get to enjoy it twice. Once the parade passes through town, they turn around and come by again. The candy and freebies continue flowing both directions.

Get Soaked by the Fire Truck

The last float in the parade are the fire trucks. They, however, don’t come back through town. The wait by the gas station on the east side and after the parade ends, they open up their fire hoses and soak anyone who wants to be soaked. It’s a melee of kids running around under the water spout. But a few adults join in on the fun.

Chuckle a Little at the Western Shoot-out

Once the parade ends, the fun isn’t over yet. Everyone crowds around the street in front of the general store for a western shoot-out. The reason I say chuckle a little as opposed to laugh: The jokes they tell aren’t really funny. But there are guns being fired, and typically a few audio issues they struggle with throughout the show. But it’s a fun way to wrap up the parade and celebrations.

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Once everything comes to a close, a line forms outside Nemo’s Drive Thru for burgers, fries, shakes and all the other items they offer. There is also a Subway at Cottam’s gas station. There may also be fundraiser lunches for the Boy Scouts or the local fire department.

After lunch, you can pick your next activity. Maybe it’s a short drive to play in Calf Creek. Or a long hike to Calf Creek Falls. You can drive down a washboard dirt road to Peek-a-Boo or Zebra slot canyons, or head west to Kodachrome State Park or Bryce Canyon National Park. That area of Utah has a lot to offer for people of all interest levels. Capitol Reef National Park is a couple hours north of Escalante. But if you’re heading back to Salt Lake afterward, it’s a great location to stop for a quick hike.

The Details:

Address: Along Highway 12, east of Bryce Canyon National Park

Parking: You’ll find parking throughout the city streets. You’ll want to get there early to claim a spot for your seats. Bring your own chairs and an umbrella for shade – it’s July in Utah, which means it’s HOT outside.

Hours: Kids Bike Parade starts at 9:30 a.m. on the west side of town, then heads east. The actual Pioneer Day Parade begins around 10 a.m. The parade festivities last about 1.5 to 2 hours, including the Western Shoot-out.

Website: http://www.escalanteut.com/

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