Honoring heritage: Days of '47 kicks off

As the July sun beat down on a record number of people during the Family Fun Day kickoff event for the Days of '47, Laura Padilla stood apart from the throng, close by her daughter, pointing out a name on a weathered pioneer monument. Padilla has a personal connection to the pioneers of 1847.

Horace Datus Ensign, Padilla's ancestor, was part of the first Mormon pioneer company to travel away from certain persecution in Nauvoo and toward a hopeful freedom in the Rocky Mountains. Horace died along the way and was buried in Winter Quarters; however, his wife, Mary Bronson Ensign, traveled with five of her children and made it to the Salt Lake Valley in September 1847.

This Is the Place Heritage Park hosted the Family Fun Day Friday. The free event, open to the public, was an opportunity for families, such as Padilla's, to get together and remember their heritage.

"It is nice to come up here and have the kids understand what (the pioneers) did," Padilla said as she stood by her daughter. She mentioned it was important for her children to understand that many pioneers lost family members during the trek West.

"I'm proud of my heritage, and I just want them to know about it, too," Padilla said.

By early afternoon, the event had already attracted a record crowd of more than 16,000 people, according to Ken Shields, chairman for the Family Fun Day committee.

"It's about giving something back to the community," Shields said of the nonprofit Days of '47 organization. "Especially this year, families need something affordable that they can do together." In the park, families were able to go on train rides, pony rides, go to a petting zoo, play carnival games and enjoy live entertainment. The park also had the chance to give tours to families around the Heritage Village, teaching about pioneer life and showing the community that the park is more than just a monument.

"Everyone knows it is a monument, but not many know about the things that are available on the other side of the wall," said Rod Clifford, park spokesman.

In addition to the regular features of the park, inflatable slides and bounce houses were brought in for children to play on and a stick horse obstacle course promoted the Days of '47 Rodeo, which had children laughing as some stumbled in a hurry and fell face-first into the dirt.

Shields said because of concerns of size, a decision was made by the committee two years ago to move the event from its previous location at the Wheeler Farm to the park. He said this has generated a significant increase in attendance. "When we were at the Wheeler Farm, we probably saw maybe five- to six-thousand people," Shields said. Last year was the first time the Family Fun Day was held at This Is the Place Heritage Park, drawing about 15,000 people.

Not only does the park give availability to more people, but it also gives those in attendance a chance to learn firsthand about pioneers by visiting Heritage Village, according to Michelle Whitchurch who has been going to the event off and on for about the past seven years.

"We have been doing (Family Fun Day) for several years," Whitchurch said. Having the event at a new venue has changed the perspective, she said. "It reminds us why we have Pioneer Day and it is more fun with the historic locations."

Whitchurch's 7-year-old daughter Victoria was able to make hats and dolls during the carnival, but she told the Deseret News she liked "to go fishing" the most at a fish pond game. "Oh, and I loved the popsicles."

e-mail: cneugebauer@desnews.com