By STEPHEN SMITH
stephen@du2.byu.edu
Despite the name of the festival, one would have been hard pressed to find any onions during the annual 'Golden Onion Day Celebration' in Payson over Labor Day weekend.
However, family fun and community spirit was found in abundance, without a teary eye in the bunch.
The whole weekend was full of activities, with the most popular and crowd-drawing attractions being saved for Monday. Monday's activities included a 5K and 10K run, a grand parade, a demolition derby, art, crafts, and flower shows and a carnival, to name a few.
Payson City Park was buzzing Monday morning with hundreds of natives and visitors.
Golden Onion Days had its beginnings in the 1920s, according to Payson resident Lavon Jensen. At that time state officials had encouraged communities to chose a locally produced product of their community and use it for the theme of the town's celebration.
One town chose strawberries, another steel, and Payson chose onions, a crop which has had amazing success in the past. And like the crop for which it was chosen, the town festival enjoyed much success as well.
It is now Utah's largest Labor Day weekend celebration, according to the Onion Days Web site.
The 5K and 10K run attracted several runners. Despite the fact she was running for two, expectant mother Joanna Henderson took third place in the women's 25-29 division. Henderson said the run was nice, but the fact that half the race was uphill was a little discouraging.
The Grand Parade, one of the celebration's greater spectacles, had people lining the street hours before it started. The parade's more than 100 entries ranged from the usual high school bands and beauty queens to the atypical camel couple named 'Popeye' and 'Monique.'
The parade's grand marshall was Elizabeth Huish, a Payson native and a school teacher of 45 years. Although Huish said she enjoys the parade, she also said her favorite part of Onion Days was the coming home of friends and relatives.
The parade's attendees were not all from Payson. Miss Provo, Melinda Fitzgerald, a Provo resident and BYU student, joined the parade as part of her royal duties.
'The parades are fun, especially when there is a lot of people,' Fitzgerald said.
The Payson City Park served as the center of the activities where all participants, visitors, and natives gathered for food, relaxation and thrills. Several vendors lined the sidewalks and pathways of the park peddling their various wares to the curious visitors.
Diane Hunter of Payson was one of the local merchants selling crafts. Although Hunter attends many festivals and crafts shows, she said Onion Days always proves a success for her business.
Because of the large number of visitors, one might suspect an increase in criminal activities throughout the weekend. Not so, according to Officer Brent Pover of the Payson Police Department.
As with any weekend, nights can get a little busy, Pover said. However, Pover also said, 'It's part of the job ... this year has been really enjoyable.'