Santa Margarita Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Pioneer Day Celebration
Annistyn and Alexis Peterson pose with their homemade covered wagon they brought for the mini-trek
The heat at Altisima Park in Rancho Santa Margarita didn’t seem to keep 500 people from attending the free Pioneer Celebration sponsored by the Santa Margarita Stake from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The celebration schedule included pioneer type games, a simple dinner, a mini-trek with covered wagons, and even two messy pie eating contests.
Brother and sister, Michael and Chloe Curry from Lake Forest, compete in four-legged race
If you were to follow the cheering you might see the three-legged race, the water balloon toss or jump the line in action. Pat Brokaw, Santa Margarita Stake Young Men General President, explained, “It was hot but that didn’t seem to faze the children at all. By the time we had the 500 water balloons ready the adults were so ready to join the games. I think when the water balloons broke it was a welcome relief from the heat.”
If you were to visit the park on Saturday, July 21st, you would know it was not a typical day. You might even wonder whether these families were even California residents. The pioneer bonnets, aprons, cowboy hats and handkerchiefs looked out of place, especially in the July heat.
After dinner and games, the mini-trek began. Margie Dayley, Santa Margarita Trek Chairman, was asked to plan and orchestrate the trek. Dayley explained, “I wanted every child in the trek to have a bonnet or handkerchief, so I found ten teenagers and a handful of willing adults to help me sew 130 bonnets at the beginning of July.” Every child walking did wear a bonnet or handkerchief while pulling homemade red “covered wagons” to walk the short distance to the playground.
The handcart trek was re-enacted to remind the children of the sacrifices that led up to the pioneers entering the Salt Lake Utah Valley on July 24, 1947. In 1947, after years of persecution, the Mormon pioneers would finally have a place of their own where they could live and practice their religion in peace. To this day, Pioneer Day is a Utah state holiday.
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Pioneer Day Celebration is to commemorate the Mormon pioneers passage into Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Fleeing persecution, Mormons saw Utah as a haven where they could rear families and practice their religion. July 24th, Pioneer Day, is an official Utah state holiday. The first Pioneer Day celebration was held in 1857.
Anna and Tess Richardson pose in their homemade costumes and homemade covered wagon. Their wagon sign says, “Zion or bust”. Zion was a term used by pioneers in 1800’s to describe the place where they could raise their families and live far away from religious persecution
Story and Pictures; Karen Lake
