St. Anthony Pioneer Day celebration makes rousing comeback after turbulent year
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ST. ANTHONY – A 90-year tradition in St. Anthony made a rousing comeback Saturday as thousands attended the Pioneer Day celebration.
After last year’s event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Volunteer Parade Coordinator Mari Ann Birch wanted this year’s parade to be the best one ever.
“After COVID, we need it,” Birch tells EastIdahoNews.com.
The exact amount of people who attended isn’t clear, but organizers were anticipating a crowd of at least 20,000 throughout the day.
Former mayor and city councilman Neils Thueson served as the parade marshal for this year’s event. He explains the significance of Pioneer Day and why it’s celebrated in eastern Idaho.
“Pioneer Day celebrates the (Latter-day Saint) pioneers who settled this whole western area from Salt Lake all this way. We’re just really glad to be able to do this in St. Anthony,” Thueson says.
Back in 1929, leaders from St. Anthony and Rexburg met to decide what to do for the competing July 4th and July 24th celebrations. According to the event’s website, Rexburg got the Fourth of July, St. Anthony moved forward with the Pioneer Day celebration and it is still going strong.
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One of the most popular activities of the entire celebration is the parade, which is known for the number of floats built by local wards (congregations) in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“The floats, they just go above and beyond. It gets to be a borderline competition with the wards on their floats,” says Danny Elliott, Chairman of the Fremont County Pioneer Days Board. “They just do a phenomenal job. The wards have been working on these for months and months and months on a very limited budget.”
Other activities include a community play, car show, rodeo and bake sale. Elliott says most people don’t realize what is involved behind the scenes in putting this event together.
“It’s a miracle really how it gets pulled off because there’s so much going on all the time,” says Brooke Jeppeson, who helped judge the floats.
People from all over the country typically attend the Pioneer Day celebration and many make this event part of their family reunion or class reunion.
Micheal Seubert is originally from Montana but has become a St. Anthony Pioneer Day parade fan.
“The first time I came to the parade on the 24th, it was pretty awesome. I was pretty stunned because I’ve never really seen anything like it. It’s really just become part of the tradition and a family tradition. It’s pretty great,” says Seubert.
Michael Albaugh went to school in St. Anthony and watches the parade from his aunt’s front lawn. He also enjoys the tradition.
“It’s always one of the best parades. There are lots of floats and a lot of candy, so it’s a great time,” Albaugh says.
Elliott is grateful to everyone who donated their time and talents to make the event possible. He hopes it was a memorable day for all those who attended and he’s looking forward to next year’s celebration.
“It’s just a really special day here in St. Anthony,” Elliott says.