Overview
- The parade took place Friday, July 24, and thousands of people lined South Temple, State Street and Liberty Park to watch the annual Days of ’47 celebration.
- Organizers staged dozens of handcrafted floats at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy before a midnight caravan escorted by the Utah Highway Patrol brought them downtown and the parade began at 9 a.m., with KSL offering a live TV broadcast and livestream for home viewers.
- Local stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and community groups spent months building floats that followed the 2026 theme 'Like, Learn, Love and Pioneers' and required large volunteer crews and donated materials.
- Highlighted entries included Glenmoor’s flowing water feature themed 'Where love flows, hope grows,' Herriman South’s float covered in 324 hand-milled wooden dolls plus a treasure chest for extra names, and Wasatch Meadows (Spanish) depicting 3 Nephi 11 with a Mayan-style temple.
- Float builders described faith-filled experiences during construction, saying donated supplies and unexpected reunions helped complete complex elements and strengthened community bonds that organizers hope will sustain future parade participation.