As with any event that runs long enough, there comes a time when it’s nice to pay tribute to the history of the tradition, and also the many years to come. That’s why this year the Sandy Mountain Festival committee have set the theme for the festival celebrates the past, present and future of the long-held tradition.
“We threw out a few theme ideas and it just seemed to fit,” said committee president Lisa Snider.
The festival kicks off on Thursday, July 11, with the parade at 7 p.m. that runs east down Pioneer Boulevard from Bluff Road to Wolf Drive. Make sure to get your spot early.
Keeping with the theme, Snider said they chose a grand marshal who has been not only involved, but a staple of the festival for decades.
“I’m excited about our grand marshal,” Snider explained.
The festival will honor Mountain Man Daniel Stevens in the parade this year. He has walked or rode in nearly every parade for the past 40-plus years.
Stevens, 84, known to many as the Mountain Man, has been dressing in rugged, mountain style clothing, throwing pots, telling stories and appearing in the parade for more than 40 years along with his sidekick — the Dancing Bear — and he’s lived in the Sandy area since 1969.