Hundreds camp out in downtown Salt Lake City for the Days of ’47 Parade
Jul 23, 2019, 4:35 PM | Updated: 6:54 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – People from across Utah are camping out for the night on the streets of downtown Salt Lake City. They’re trying to get a good spot to see the Days of ’47 Parade, an annual Pioneer Day tradition.
Julie McConkie and her family came from Bountiful.
“It’s a family tradition, and we’ve just done it for years. We always enjoy coming and enjoy all the activities the night before,” McConkie says.
Hundreds started lining the parade route early on July 23rd, several hours before police are officially allowed to let people to set up a tent. One group had 150 people in it.
Many carried extra items to keep their kids entertained through the night, like Rosepark resident Charlie Vainuku.
“We bring their scooters. We bring music, a lot of food, and sometimes we’ll play games. But we have family straight down this street, so [my kids] will be walking up and down,” said Vainuku.
Most people were trying to keep out of the triple digit heat, but some, like Eric Cody from Farmington, worry about potential thunderstorms.
“I usually plan ahead, but for once we didn’t. If it rains, it’ll still be fun,” Cody said.
Salt Lake City Police are reminding people that most cars will not be allowed on the parade route starting July 23rd at 6:00p.m. Camping on private property is also not allowed.
The Days of ’47 Parade, which will be broadcast on KSLTV, starts at 9:00a.m. on July 24th. The floats and bands will begin marching at South Temple and State Street before heading down 200 East and eventually ending at Liberty Park.
