Monticello Pioneer Day Celebration

by David Boyle
News Director
The two-day Monticello Pioneer Day celebration runs Friday and Saturday, July 24 and 25 this year.
The weekend features a community-wide celebration, along with a number of family and class reunions and other community events.
A full schedule of events can be found on page B8 of the San Juan Record, at the City of Monticello and SJRnews.com website, and the Monticello Pioneer Days Facebook page.
The main event is the Pioneer Day Parade at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 25 with Grand Marshal Jay Whitney Redd.
Other highlights include the longest consecutively running fastpitch softball tournament in the nation with the Blue Mountain Invitational.
Softball action begins on Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. and runs through Saturday evening.
The grand fireworks show will start after dark on Saturday.
The celebration kicks off at 10 a.m. on Friday with a Pickleball Tournament. The single elimination tournament takes place at the pool with registration capped at 16 teams.
You can register in advance at the city pool or find information on the city website.
Swimmers can play at the city pool for just one dollar from 1 to 5 pm, and the sidewalk chalk competition is all day around Veterans Park with age group winners. Register beforehand online.
The home run derby will be happening at the city ball fields starting at 2:30 on Friday.
Also starting up Friday afternoon are the free inflatables at Veterans Park starting at 3 pm and running until the start of the movie at dark.
Also this year a dunk tank fundraiser for the parks and recreation committee will be going on from 3 to 9 pm.
Vendors will also be at Veterans Park and the ball fields starting at 3 pm.
The men’s fastpitch softball tournament starts at 4:30 pm and runs through Saturday night.
The Recreation Committee will hold fundraising games Friday evening from 5:30 to 8 pm, as well as a family cornhole competition at 5:30 pm.
On Friday night, the city will be showing the movie Sandlot at Veterans park once it gets dark around 9:15 pm.
Saturday morning starts with the Pioneer Day 5k at the high school. Registration starts at 6 with the race starting at 7 and a kids fun mile run at 7:45.
The Lions Club Breakfast at the LDS Stake Center Pavilion on Main Street goes from 7 to 10 am.
A long drive competition at the Hideout Golf Course will be held from 9 to 11 am and again from 3 to 5 pm.
The Pioneer Day Parade starts at the High School and comes down Main Street starting at 10:30 am.
Events pick up again at 11 am with Vendors in the park at Veterans along with inflatables, and a 16+ cornhole competition, as well as the quilt show at the library from Noon to 3 pm.
The coin dive is scheduled from 1 to 2 pm at the city pool with lineup starting at 12:45 and kids competing in age groups 0-12 years old.
An open swim and timed obstacle course will follow from 2 to 5 pm on Saturday.
The Hideout will also host a long drive competition from 3 to 5 pm on Saturday.
Fireworks will close out the celebration at dark. Drought conditions have created a high hazard for fire with a personal firework ban in place residents can enjoy the professional firework presentation with oversight from the Monticello Fire Department.
A full schedule of events can be found on page B8 of the San Juan Record, at the City of Monticello and SJRnews.com website, and the Monticello Pioneer Days Facebook page.