Pioneer Day Fair

This Friday (like any of you didn't know) was Pioneer Day.  I love that the state of Utah created it's own holiday to celebrate! I grew up in Las Vegas NV and never celebrated Pioneer Day, so this year was fun for me because I experienced it for the first time.  I went to the Pioneer Day celebration at North Park in Provo.  The park was very busy, I'm pretty sure it looked like what the farmers market would look like on the 4th of July, only with people running around in Pioneer outfits and playing Pioneer games.  There were many little booths set up with people selling hand made goods, pillow cases, and there was one stand up with indian made items.  This was my favorite stand because the two ladies there made all of the things that they sold, including purses, indian jewelry, wind pipes, and some animal skins.  There were also a few antique cars and old fire trucks that kids could run around and look at.  And there was lot's of food as well.  It was so much fun to just walk around and look at the crafts and listen to the music that was being played.  

There was an indian tee-pee set up with indian drums and artifacts around it, and my favorite part was the little pioneer village.  This village is put 

on by volunteers who teach people about how the pioneers at the time would have plowed their field, or created nails.  There was a blacksmith shop, a grainary, a kitchen, and a pioneer house.  All of the volunteers were very cheerful and informative and all the people that visited seemed very happy and impressed with the little town and its volunteer pioneer members.  This town reminded me a lot of Nauvoo Illinois and all the shops and stores that the church has restored there.   Here is a picture of me pushing a plow through the field at the little pioneer town, and it was a lot harder than it looked! 

Yesterday when I was thinking about the Pioneer's I couldn't help but think of what a different time that was, and how much they sacrificed for what they believed in.  I don't think that I could do what they did, that is, leave their homes and families in the east and travel west without any assurance that they would make it or even find the religious freedom they were searching for.  And then when they did make it into the Salt Lake Valley, they still had many hardships and trials.  But look at what their sacrifice has led to!  There are so many people here now!  and the church has grown so much and I'm sure that part of that is in response to the great sacrifice the pioneer's made.  I have a few pioneer ancestors and I am so grateful for the sacrifices they made, so that the church could grow and prosper in the West.  And even though I sometimes make fun of Utah and its different customs and celebrations, I am very glad that they have a day set aside where we can think of the Pioneer's and all that they did for us.  Pioneers are a part of Utah and LDS culture and it is so nice that we have a day that we can celebrate them and all that they accomplished for us!