Drivers commuting along 400 South witnessed an interesting sight Saturday, as the "Four Horsemen of the Shopocalypse" led a parade of creatively dressed followers from 200 West to the Salt Lake City-County Building.

The parade was organized to promote the International Day of Protest Against Big Box Chain Stores in an effort to encourage consumers to buy locally this holiday season.

Ashley Sanders, an organizer and horseman at the event, said she was shocked at the amount of waste big-box stores generate. To make their point, demonstrators created a float made entirely out of garbage typically thrown out by big-box stores. Sanders said it was just a part of how major discount retail stores displace local businesses and rupture the community culture created by local businesses.

"It doesn't matter how much money they bring in if the result is a bland, homogenous society," Sanders said. "I think people should build a community so it will be worth living in — a community that they don't want to take a vacation from."

Joel Otterstrom, a local business owner and participant in the parade, said it's important for people to be conscious of where they spend their money. He said local businesses struggle when competing against the billions of dollars major discount retail stores generate each year.

"This is all about sticking together," Otterstrom said. "Let's buy local and help people out."

Jane Martinson, another parade participant, also vouched for the culture that she said local businesses create in communities.

"When you go into a store, it's nice to know the people that work there," Martinson said. "It definitely strengthens the community, ties us all together and strengthens our economy."

Salt Lake City's parade was one of many held across the globe this weekend. Other parades to protest against big-box stores were held in 16 countries and 20 other states across the United States.

Big Box Collaborative, an organization dedicated to reforming big-box stores, particularly Wal-Mart, initiated the day of protest.

"This day really is an opportunity for communities to express their concern over a variety of issues and to make people more aware of the impacts of these big-box stores throughout the world," said Trina Tocco, coordinator of the Big Box Collaborative.

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E-mail: nhale@desnews.com