Days of ’47 Parade, Salt Lake City, Utah 1970s?

This photograph captures the Days of ’47 Parade in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the 1970s—one of the state’s most cherished and longstanding celebrations. Held annually on or near July 24th, the parade commemorates the arrival of the first group of Latter-day Saint pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, marking the beginning of permanent Euro-American settlement in what would eventually become Utah.

A mounted riding group dominates the parade lineup, their horses moving in formation along the rain-soaked street as crowds gather beneath patriotic red, white, and blue bunting. The wet pavement suggests an earlier summer storm, but the spectators—some in raincoats, others with umbrellas—remain enthusiastically in place, lining the sidewalk outside a modern Walgreens storefront and surrounding mid-century office towers and historic buildings in the city center.

Like many western parades, horses, flags, and traditional attire reflect Utah’s frontier heritage and its deep ties to ranching culture. The Days of ’47 Parade blends historical pageantry, pioneer remembrance, community pride, and festive spectacle—drawing thousands of spectators every year.