Pioneer Day arrives in Monticello with two full days of events

The annual Pioneer Day Celebration in Monticello is this weekend July 21-22. The weekend theme is ‘Prepare the Way’, and tons of organizations are preparing for a great weeked in Monticello.
Pioneer Days kick off Friday afternoon with the dollar swim at the city swimming pool from 1 to 5 p.m. Free ice cream will be given out as long as it lasts.
Pioneer Day activities include an 8-year-old and under baseball tournament. Games will be played on field three at 1:30 pm on Friday and Saturday.
Pioneer Day is host to the longest continuous-running adult mens fast-pitch softball tournament in the United States. Teams from throughout the West will check in at 2:30 with a home run derby at the city fields. The fast-pitch tournament starts at 4:30 with an opening ceremony.
More fun events start on Friday at Veterans Park at 3 p.m. This year, the City of Monticello and San Juan Counseling are bringing inflatables free of charge for users. Adventure Zone Inflatables will bring ten to twelve inflatables and three to five carnival-style games with prizes. 
The afternoon will also include a family cornhole competition fundraiser starting at 4 p.m. Vendors will also be at the park throughout the afternoon. 
At dusk, the Monticello City Recreation Committee will open concessions before the free screening of Sandlot starting at 9:15 p.m.
The Saturday Pioneer Day events start bright and early with the Blue Mountain Pioneer Day 5k. Registration opens at 6 a.m. with a 5k race at Loyds Lake starting at 7 a.m. and a Kid’s Fun Run follows at 7:45 a.m. The 5k registration fee is $30 or $15 without t-shirt. $5 for Kid’s Run registration.
Saturday morning also features the Lions Club Breakfast at the Stake Center Pavillion behind the Post Office on Main Street. Breakfast will be served from 7 to 10 a.m. with $10 for an adult plate or $5 for a half plate or for a child.
Raffle tickets for a Blue Cooler will also be available to purchase at the breakfast.
The mens fastpitch tournament resumes at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning and continues throughout the day. 
Down at the Hideout Golf Course, golfers can try their hand at the longest-drive competition from 9 to 11 a.m. and again from 4 to 6 p.m.
Winners of the senior, mens, womens, boys and girls divisions will receive $100 in golf shop credit. The cost is $10 for five golf balls with no limit on the amount of balls purchased.
The Pioneer Day parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. on the usual route going from Monticello High School onto Main Street and then up Center Street.
The parade grand marshal is Monticello’s own Martha Johnson. Read more about Martha on page A1 of the San Juan Record.
Activities will follow immediately after the parade with free inflatables back up and running at Veterans Park, and the Quilt Time Quilters show from noon to 3 p.m. at the Monticello library.
Other events will be at the city ball fields with a 16+ competitive cornhole tournament in the pavilion, $30 registration fee with cash prizes to the top three teams. 
The line-up for the kid’s coin dive will start at 12:45 p.m. Children will hop into the pool to fish out a total of $200 divided amongst different age groups at the city pool from 1 to 2:30 p.m. An open swim and bellyflop competition continues until 5 p.m.
Nearly 40 vendors will be at both Veterans Park and the Ball fields throughout the day.
A junior rodeo at D’s Adventures in Eastland start at 5:30 p.m. with events for kids aged three to 18. Text 435-260-9930 to sign up.
Fireworks shoot off at the MHS football field parking lot at dark to conclude the events.