Days of ’47 Parade float features story of seafaring saints
Jul 20, 2022, 7:30 PM | Updated: 9:14 pm
MIDVALE, Utah — For several months now, volunteers from the Midvale North Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have gathered at a garage in Midvale to work on a parade float for the Days of ’47 Parade.
The theme of their float is “The Faithful and Fearless Pioneers of the Brooklyn.”
Work began late last fall after Melissa Bolton was asked to be the chairman for the float committee.
“I’ll be honest, I did not know it was this big of an undertaking. I thought sure parade float, I can do that,” Bolton said.
Since then, thousands of hours have been logged, and many volunteers have stepped in to help.
Their mission was to create a float representative of the 238 Latter-day Saint Pioneers who set sail on February 4th, 1846, for their 24-thousand-mile sea voyage from New York to California. Bolton said she had learned more than she ever imagined about what it takes to build a float and is grateful for the help she has received.
The glitter, paint, and 3-D sea creatures make this float colorful and whimsical, but the builders say it’s the story about what this float represents that is important. They hope people will remember the courage of the pioneers when they celebrate during the parade.
The float will be one of several that will ride in the Days of ’47 Parade on July 23rd in Salt Lake City. The parade begins at 9 am, and the route starts at South Temple and State Street. It runs east to 200 East and then turns South to 900 South. It ends at Liberty Park.
