Steve Nelson, director of the Provo Pioneer Village and colloquially known “village mayor,' tells stories of Provo's history to visitors. (Josh Ellis)
Visitors gathered at the historic Provo Pioneer Village on Monday to celebrate the 169th anniversary of the founding of Provo.
The Founder’s Day celebration gave visitors the opportunity to see a glimpse of what life was like in the 1800s, including original dwellings and artifacts, craft demonstrations, and games. Costumed volunteers led tours and gave more information on each area and activity.
Local historian Robert Carter gives a lecture on the 'Provo Riot.' (Josh Ellis)
Robert Carter, a local historian, gave a lecture on a little-known incident in 1870 many call the “Provo Riot.” Adults were welcomed at the presentation, and children were invited to play at the village’s schoolhouse.
David Glod brought his family from Draper, Utah, to celebrate the event. “It’s a lot of fun and very educational,” he said. “It’s fun to bring families out here to learn a little bit of what the history was down here in Provo.”
Ryan Lee, a volunteer at the Provo Pioneer Village, taught games from the 1800s to visitors. (Josh Ellis)
Steve Nelson, director of the Provo Pioneer Village and colloquially known “village mayor”, was thrilled with the event and the visitors. “This is a great little place,” He said. “It’s really exciting to be here.”
Although the village was open Monday night, it will remain closed for the remainder of the month. The Provo Pioneer Village formally opens Memorial Day weekend.
The city of Provo will be celebrating its founding all week. In addition to the Founder’s Day event, Provo residents can visit the City Center Lobby during the week to pick up a commemorative birthday balloon.