Sanpete communities ready for two weeks of summer events

ByRobert Stevens
A group of people sitting in a park look at fireworks exploding in the sky. An American Flag stands at the center of the photo.
Fireworks erupt in the sky over Gunnison City Park and will again on Friday, July 3rd.
Moto with a Message’s Alex Dixon hurtles towards a freestyle MX ramp. Dixon and the rest of the team will ride at the Gunnison City Independence Day celebration.

Fireworks won’t wait until the Fourth this year. Beginning Friday, June 27, and running through Saturday, July 5, five valley towns plan to keep residents rolling from one celebration to the next with festivals, concerts, rodeos and car shows that sew local traditions into a single, county-wide holiday tapestry.

Wales

Welsh Days gets things started Friday evening at Wales Town Park.

A 5 p.m. cornhole tournament pushes straight into a 6:30 p.m. community potluck, then yields the stage to vendor booths, prize drawings, live music, dancing and a fireworks finale.

The party resumes Saturday with a 7:30 a.m. breakfast. At 9 a.m. will be the Main Street parade, and at 10 a.m. will be the strongman contest and classic-car display. There will also be children’s water games and a pie-eating free-for-all.

Mt. Pleasant

Hub City Days opens on Saturday when the Basin Drive-In Car Show swings its gates at 4 p.m., cruises Main Street at 6 p.m. and hands out awards at 7 p.m. Following that, there will be a screening of “Catch Me If You Can” at dusk.

A chalk-throw on June 30 and a free park movie on July 1 keep the momentum going until rodeo week arrives.

Family Fun Night in the arena on July 2 features barrel racing, pole bending and stick-horse hijinks. A Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo then anchors July 3-5, with gates opening at 6:30 p.m., mutton-busting at 7 p.m. and the main performance at 8 p.m. Independence Day in Mt. Pleasant also brings a 6 a.m. Freedom Run, a 7 a.m. flag-raising and breakfast, an 11:30 a.m. parade, and vendors and entertainment throughout the afternoon. Fireworks begin once darkness falls.

Moroni

Moroni starts early as well, drawing a crowd to its park on Saturday, June 28 for a free 6:30 p.m. concert headlined by country singer Eric Dodge. A patriotic fireside fills the Moroni Opera House on Sunday at 7 p.m. July 2-3 feature a pickleball tournament, a volleyball tournament and a turkey barbecue.

Holiday morning kicks off at 7 a.m. with a 5K fun run and firemen’s breakfast. A flag ceremony will be held at 8 a.m. at Moroni City Hall, with the Mammoth Parade at 10; Garth and Becky Kendall are the grand marshals.

Carnival rides, water games, relay races and a youth basketball shootout carry the day until a 10 p.m. fireworks show caps the schedule.

July 5 brings an archery shoot, a three-on-three basketball tourney and a classic-car show at the middle-school park.

Manti

Manti joins the circuit with its “Made in America” celebration beginning on July 3 at the city’s Union Street pickleball courts. Novice teams serve first at 4:30 p.m., followed by advanced mixed doubles at 6:30.

Independence Day itself opens at 7 a.m. with a 5K run and one-mile fun walk at City Park’s northwest pavilion, while the American Legion serves breakfast on the east side of the park.

A patriotic program at 10 a.m. will be followed by a horseshoe tournament at 11 a.m., carnival-style games, vendor tents and food trucks that will stay busy into mid-afternoon. A cornhole tournament runs from noon to 2 p.m., with a watermelon bust following immediately at 2 p.m. Free swimming at the city pool starts at 3 p.m., and a tennis tournament will be played at the high school tennis courts at 4 p.m.

The city parade rolls down Main Street at 6 p.m. The home-run derby swings away at the sports complex at 7 p.m., and food trucks, live music and family activities set the stage for fireworks at dusk.

Gunnison

Gunnison City Independence Day Celebration is July 3-4 at the city park at 258 N. Main St.

Festivities start Thursday, July 3, at 4 p.m. when food vendors open and a high-flying FMX motocross show called “Moto with a Message” performs three sets between 4-6 p.m. Laser-tag fields stay active from 4-8 p.m. with $5 unlimited-play, and a community auction steps up at 6 p.m. Local singer-songwriter Maddie Wilson takes the main stage at 8:15 p.m. before country artist Kaleb Austin headlines. Fireworks will follow the concert, and a dance for the teenagers at 10:15 p.m. (entry is $5).

The morning of July 4 starts with a 6 a.m. 5K run-walk and a 7 a.m. American Legion breakfast. A parade moves down Main Street at 9 a.m., clearing the way for park festivities at 10 a.m., including a classic-car show, craft booths and family games organized by the Gunnison Jaycees. The Lions Club will serve lunch also at 10 a.m.

Bingo prizes start rolling out at 11 a.m., and the city pool opens for free public swimming from noon-4 p.m.