Utahns not alone in celebrating July 24th

Every July 24, the trek of Mormon pioneers who settled the Salt Lake Valley is remembered and commemorated in Utah with a state holiday and a month of celebrations that outshines the Fourth of July.

But Utah is not unique in its celebrations. From New York to Los Angeles, various Latter-day Saint stakes and wards across the country also celebrate Pioneer Day.

"I think it's vitally important not to forget," said Richard Walker, stake president for the Glendora California Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "My belief is that we must never forget."

Walker said he had relatives who were some of the first pioneers to cross the plains into the Salt Lake Valley and although the Glendora Stake isn't in Utah, it is still important to remember their arduous efforts.

For the past 10-12 years, the Glendora Stake celebrates Pioneer Day by holding events similar to those in Salt Lake City. Between 700 and 1,000 stake members participate in a 5K walk/run, parade and celebration. Members gather at the stake center for the celebration, where activities, performers, dinner and other events are held on the large front lawn, parking lot, cultural hall and other rooms in the church.

"We try to have things that they had in the pioneer days," Walker said. "It gets a very good response, and that's why we continue it."

But Glendora is only one stake in a long list of celebrators. The Mission Viejo California Stake invites the community to enjoy food, activities and entertainment for Pioneer Day. The Kauai Hawaii Stake has a celebration for the Primary children to remember their pioneer predecessors. The Anchorage Alaska, Alexandria Louisiana, Tampa Florida, Appleton Wisconsin and other national stakes and wards also hold celebrations similar to Utah's.

"It has become a time to be together," Walker said. "They (pioneers) would still have the togetherness, and that's kind of the part that we try to capture here, the togetherness of it."

Ron Watt, archivist for the Church History Library, said various stakes from the country send the library their annual histories. But it is unknown how many stakes and wards actually celebrate Pioneer Day, since not all the stakes send an annual history, and some of the stakes that do send a history do not list all of their events.

Watt said he remembers reading about U.S. stakes celebrating Pioneer Day 30 to 40 years ago. But recently, Watt said, he hasn't read information about U.S. stakes celebrating.