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Sugar House Journal

Independence Celebration In Sugar House

Aug 04, 2016 13h03 ● By Natalie Mollinet

Sugar House Art Walk. —Natalie Mollinet

Natalie Mollinet | [email protected] 

Sugar House, Utah - Celebrating the fourth of July in Sugar House is no simple task. Neighborhoods plan breakfasts, parades and our community plans arts festivals, races and brilliant fireworks. This year more than 30,000 people crowded in and around Sugar House Park to see the fireworks and more than 10,000 people walked along Highland Drive at the arts festival. Many agreed that the fireworks at the park this year were one of the best, and over 60 vendors attended the arts festival.

The Sugar House celebrations started out early in the morning with a dog walk at Sugar House Park. Members in the community came to show off their patriotic pride by dressing up their dogs and participating in a short 1K foot race. Best Friends Animal Society and PetCo helped with the event, and if you got a glimpse of these decorated pups, you would agree that you don’t have to be human to wear red, white and blue.

Throughout the day, members in the community could take a walk along Highland Drive between 2100 S and Wilmington to see the many different arts and crafts from those here in Sugar House.

“It’s really fun,” Elise Rusk one of the attendees said, “I feel like there’s a fun small town kind of feel to it, and you feel like you know everyone you see.”

Vendors had everything from bags to jewelry to retail, while the Sugar House Chamber - who put on the events - held raffles for prizes, including restaurant gift cards and other various items. This is the second year the Sugar House Chamber has be in charge of the fireworks and the events surrounding it.

“The fireworks have been a tradition for a very large number of people for many years,” Summer Shumway head of the Sugar House Chamber said, “They love and appreciate them but they have no idea the amount of work it takes for all the events to happen that day.”

The fireworks use up a majority of the Chambers budget, taking up 60% of the $76,000 dollars it takes to make the events happen. Getting all of the vendors organized as well as coordinating food trucks and traffic, is a lot of work, but the chamber is happy to continue the tradition and hopes that everyone enjoyed the festivities.

“We put a lot into these events and we just sincerely hope that people enjoyed the day!” Shumway said, and many who attended the events had a good time.

At the park just hours before the fireworks, food trucks from the Food Truck League lined the streets in the park. Some families who had been there early in the morning scouting out spots, were together as families having picnics and enjoying the warm weather. Police were there to keep traffic under control and those in the park safe.

“Both Sugar House Park Authority and Sugar House Chamber of Commerce – the firework providers – cooperate with and stay in contact with the Salt Lake City Police Department,” George Sumner, President of the Sugar House Park Authority said, “Salt Lake City has provided one important improvement for traffic by keeping the S-line trolley open late.”

The evening finished off with one big show in the sky – the fireworks. Even if you aren’t in the park, the fireworks can be seen from almost everywhere in the community. Many sat outside their front yards or roofs, and some sat in fields and watched from afar. In the park, music provided by MIX 105.1 FM played patriotic music as the booms filled the sky, as well as before the fireworks.

The chamber wanted to thank those who came out to the events, and of course to their sponsors that provided marvelous help, and those in the community thank the Sugar House Chamber for all their hard work.