Tens of thousands of spectators gathered in Bountel on Saturday, July 25, for the annual Handcart Days parade, a 1.8-mile procession along Main Street that serves as one of the largest parades in Utah.
Parade Route and Leadership
The parade route traveled north along Bountiful Main Street from 1500 South to 400 North, before turning west and continuing to 100 West. Greg Putz served as the 2026 Grand Marshall for the event.
Handcart Days is a volunteer-driven tradition involving residents from three different cities in south Davis County. The organizers noted that hundreds of volunteers worked to facilitate the summer event.
Park Activities and History
In conjunction with the Saturday parade, festivities were held at Bountiful City Park. The park activities schedule included programming on Friday, July 24, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and continued Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Organizers provided both free and paid attractions designed to give children an experience of how pioneer families lived. Free activities included 9-square games, gunny sack races, corn hole, a drone candy drop, and displays featuring Mountain Men and Native American history.
Concessions and Attractions
Paid attractions at the park featured a variety of rides and games, including a mechanical bull ride, a climbing wall, laser tag, and a trackless train ride. Other offerings included face painting, balloon animals, and a gold mining station.
Concessions were available throughout the event, featuring items such as BBQ sandwiches, corn on the cob, hot dogs, and snow cones. Food vendors also offered local favorites like Fat Boy Ice Cream and Cutler’s Cookies.
Event Regulations
To maintain order along the parade route, organizers implemented strict rules regarding spectator seating. The committee mandated that chairs could not be placed along the route before 9:00 p.m. on Friday, July 24, unless they were being occupied by a person, noting that unattended items would be removed by police.
