An early taste of the Days of '47 Parade [slideshow]

This marvel, the Days of '47 Parade float from the Salt Lake Stake, is an amazing piece of engineering. The blimp juts out far ahead of the float's base, seemingly without support. The secret? The vehicle underneath all the cotton clouds is an articulated forklift. (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune)

The Daybreak Stake went a little steampunk with this hand-cranked entry in the Days of '47 Parade, which evokes the sci-fi classic

KSL's float for the Days of '47 Parade answers an age-old conundrum: How do you celebrate Utah's pioneer spirit while also shilling for the TV event that will be dominating your airwaves for the next two weeks? (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune)

Sciences, arts, sports - everything about the University of Utah's float in the Days of '47 Parade shouts

Behind the whimsical sheep on this Days of '47 Parade float, by the Herriman South Stake, is a serious subject: A tribute to Mary Jane Parker Butterfield, a member of the first Relief Society, and a key tender of animals in the early years of the Mormons' settlement in the Salt Lake Valley. (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune)

The Draper River View Stake's float for the Days of '47 Parade features three waterfalls - two in front and one in back. The question: How much of the water will have evaporated by the time it gets to the end of the parade route? (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune)

Trains are a popular theme among the Days of '47 Parade floats, but this one by the Farmington North Stake takes a different approach: A tunnel, with a trolley coming out one end and a FrontRunner train coming out the other. (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune)

The Parley's Stake float for the Days of '47 Parade - a collection of sweet treats, topped by a big banana split - will have your mouth watering as it passes. (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune)

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This marvel, the Days of '47 Parade float from the Salt Lake Stake, is an amazing piece of engineering. The blimp juts out far ahead of the float's base, seemingly without support. The secret? The vehicle underneath all the cotton clouds is an articulated forklift. (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Daybreak Stake went a little steampunk with this hand-cranked entry in the Days of '47 Parade, which evokes the sci-fi classic "The Time Machine." (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune) KSL's float for the Days of '47 Parade answers an age-old conundrum: How do you celebrate Utah's pioneer spirit while also shilling for the TV event that will be dominating your airwaves for the next two weeks? (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sciences, arts, sports - everything about the University of Utah's float in the Days of '47 Parade shouts "Scoreboard!" (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune) Behind the whimsical sheep on this Days of '47 Parade float, by the Herriman South Stake, is a serious subject: A tribute to Mary Jane Parker Butterfield, a member of the first Relief Society, and a key tender of animals in the early years of the Mormons' settlement in the Salt Lake Valley. (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Draper River View Stake's float for the Days of '47 Parade features three waterfalls - two in front and one in back. The question: How much of the water will have evaporated by the time it gets to the end of the parade route? (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune) Trains are a popular theme among the Days of '47 Parade floats, but this one by the Farmington North Stake takes a different approach: A tunnel, with a trolley coming out one end and a FrontRunner train coming out the other. (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Parley's Stake float for the Days of '47 Parade - a collection of sweet treats, topped by a big banana split - will have your mouth watering as it passes. (Photo by Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune)

The Cricket by Sean P. Means

· July 18, 2012 12:18 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

It's six days until the Days of '47 Parade, Utah's annual celebration of the pioneer spirit.

For those who don't like camping out overnight or sitting in the hot sun in downtown Salt Lake City, the parade's organizers previewed the floats at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy earlier this week.

In this slideshow (click on the thumbnails at left to start it), The Cricket gives you some of the highlights of the most creative and artistic floats to go on display.