Days of ’47 Float Preview Party

Hello!

Looking for something fun and free to do in Salt Lake City in July?

One of our favorite events at Salt Lake City's annual Days of '47 celebration is the Float Preview Party. It will be held on July 17 and 18, 2017 at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy, Utah from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is a free event.

Pioneer Day on July 24th is a big day here in Utah. It's the day the state commemorates the entrance of the Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. As Brigham Young gazed over the valley for the first time, he announced, “This is the right place.” To which, at least a couple of his followers responded, “Are you sure?” They'd been hoping that California would be the right place. Nevertheless, these hardy souls built houses and planted crops and founded cities throughout the West, making Utah the great state it is today.

The Days of '47 Float Preview Party is a fun opportunity to get an up-close look the beautiful floats that will roll in the Days of '47 parade on Pioneer Day. Some of the floats have giveaways or kids' activities. There are bands and balloon artists and face painters.

Most of the floats are sponsored by businesses or church groups, but it's also fun to find gorgeous floats created by local groups such as Salt Lake City's Chinese community. Don't forget to cast a ballot for Crowd Favorite or Kids' Favorite.

Here are my top tips for attending this fun, free family event:

• Bring a brown-bag lunch or dinner if you expect to be there during mealtime. Tables and chairs are set up near the entertainment. There is a snack bar if you prefer to purchase food at the venue.
• Go early to beat the crowds. Some of the giveaways are first-come, first-served.
• Bring $1 bills to tip the balloon artists and face painters. My favorite balloon artist is the guy with the Santa beard. He can make anything!

Allison

Hi there! I am the founder of Tips for Family Trips. I am a married mom of two children, ages 14 and 17, living near Salt Lake City, Utah. We took our first child on a two-week road trip when she was four weeks old and we have been traveling as a family ever since. We love to get out of the house to see and do fun things, both far away and in our own neighborhood.