Cedar City commemorates lives, accomplishments of early settlers with ‘Pioneer Legacy Celebration’

Written by Jeff Richards
July 25, 2024

CEDAR CITY — Thousands of people packed Southern Utah University’s Eccles Coliseum for Wednesday night’s “Pioneer Legacy Celebration.”

Flanked by a military honor guard, 11-year-old Sammi Hall sings the national anthem at the beginning of “Pioneer Legacy Celebration,” Cedar City, Utah, July 24, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The free event featured some 110 local volunteer performers, many of them children. In his welcome message in the event’s program, producer Merrill Osmond, said the decision to make the production a youth-focused one was unanimous.

“It is the youth that we hope and pray will continue to remember and honor the pioneers throughout their lives,” he wrote. “I pray that they may continue to tell their children and their grandchildren of the many sacrifices the pioneers made, resulting in certain freedoms we enjoy today.”

Although the pageant’s narrative focused on the journey of the Latter-day Saint pioneers as they made their way west to Utah starting in 1847, there were several scenes that highlighted other key historical moments, such as the efforts of a horse named Old Sorrel who heroically ventured through deep snow, the “Quilt Walk” between Panguitch and Parowan in similar winter conditions, and the devastating fire that gutted SUU’s Old Main building in 1948.

Other cultural aspects were also highlighted, including the colorful dances and attire of local Native American tribes.

Toward the end of the program, a variety of other early settlers were honored, embodied by performers dressed as Spanish missionaries and immigrants from various parts of the world, including European, Asian and Pacific Island countries.

Volunteer performers act out scenes during “Pioneer Legacy Celebration,” Cedar City, Utah, July 24, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The grand finale consisted of a stunning fireworks show set to music. Even before the finale, various pyrotechnics had been used to punctuate key moments during selected scenes.

Earlier, during the pre-show that preceded the main event, emcee and featured performer Nathan Osmond introduced segments honoring the Henry Lunt family for their ancestor’s contributions in the early days of Cedar City, and featuring the Utah National Guard 213th Field Artillery Battalion’s courage and dedication during the Korean War, particularly in the battle known as the “Miracle of Gapyeong.”

Also during the pre-show, producer Justin Osmond, who is mostly deaf, brought onstage a young local girl who’d been gifted a pair of hearing aids, courtesy of the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund.

In addition, while a musical and video tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces was being played, a fleet of helicopters and airplanes flown by SUU Aviation pilots conducted an impressively choreographed flyover, passing over the appreciative stadium crowd multiple times.

Just after 10:30 p.m. after the show was over and everyone was gathering at the front of the stage for a group photo, Justin Osmond and his father Merrill Osmond both indicated that they plan to bring the show back to Cedar City again next year. The announcement was met with resounding cheers from cast members and audience members alike.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons and one granddaughter. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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