Big crowds anticipated for Pioneer celebration

Crowds of familiar faces celebrating Pioneer Day, softball tournaments, family reunions, class reunions, and more will fill Monticello this weekend during the annual Pioneer Day celebration.

Nearly two weeks of monsoon storms are bringing a nice green color to the dry foothills of the Blue Mountains, promising some relief after a year of extended drought.

In addition, after a muted celebration in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local residents and visitors alike are ready to celebrate.

The celebration begins on Friday and extends through the weekend. A full schedule of events can be found in this issue of the San Juan Record or at sjrnews.com.

Events on Friday include the softball tournament, live music, and an evening dragging Main Street.  Everyone is invited to join the festivities.

Main events on Saturday include the Pioneer Day parade, Lions Club breakfast, two days of vendors in the city ball park, and sporting events, all culminating in a firework show after dark on Saturday night.

The theme of the annual Pioneer Day Parade is “Hope, Happiness and Heritage.” The parade begins at Monticello High School and extends to Main Street and up Center Street.

The parade will feature a number of floats and entries, including Doyle Rowley, who is believed to be the last surviving World War II veteran in San Juan County. 

Rowley will be highlighting the parade in a restored World War II vehicle.

The start time for the parade has been moved to 10:30 a.m.

After the parade, the focus turns to the Monticello Ball Park, which will be brimming with food vendors, arts and craft booths, and games for the kids.

A plaque honoring Dorothy Adams will be unveiled at Pioneer Park at 1 p.m.  The park, which was a pet project of Adams, is located across from the Post Office on Main Street.

Talent will be presented throughout the weekend on the stage at Veterans Memorial Park beginning on Friday and extending through much of the day on Saturday. Local talent will perform throughout the weekend. 

A Quilt Show will be presented at the Monticello branch of the San Juan County Library on Saturday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

There will be plenty of topflight competition for athletes and spectators. A 5K race at Loyds Lake is set for Saturday morning and the annual Blue Mountain Invitational Fastpitch Softball Tournament is Friday and Saturday at the ballfields.

The tournament will feature many of the top teams from throughout the region. Play begins on Friday afternoon following a home run derby, which begins at 3 p.m.

The Monticello Swimming Pool is the hotspot for several events on Saturday afternoon, including a Coin Dive between 1 and 2:30 p.m. and a Dollar Swim between 2:30 and 5 p.m.

A Cornhole Tournament will take place on the south patio of the swimming pool Saturday at 3 p.m.  Signup for that event begins at 2 p.m. and costs $20 for a two-person team.

The Hideout Golf Club in Monticello will welcome golfers all week. The Hideout is the second-rated public course in Utah and was named by Golf Week as the 17th best municipal golf course in the United States.

The course is getting into championship form for the annual Hideout Shootout and Hideout Amateur, which will take place the week following the Pioneer Day celebration.