Gallery: Thousands attend Independence Day party in polygamous towns

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
The Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Children scramble to pick up candy as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
A helicopter gives rides above Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Members of a local LDS ward wave flags as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Crowds fill Cottonwood Park in Colorado City, AZ, for an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Onlookers on the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Onlookers on the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Onlookers on the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Performers from El Capitan School as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Riders in the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
A group of dancers pass a wall-off residence throwing candy and wave as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Onlookers line the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Onlookers on the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016.

Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
Patrick Pipkin waves flags and shouts, "Freedom!" as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016.

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Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune The Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune The Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Children scramble to pick up candy as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune A helicopter gives rides above Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Members of a local LDS ward wave flags as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Crowds fill Cottonwood Park in Colorado City, AZ, for an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Onlookers on the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Onlookers on the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Onlookers on the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Performers from El Capitan School as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Riders in the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune A group of dancers pass a wall-off residence throwing candy and wave as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Onlookers line the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Onlookers on the route as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, Saturday July 2, 2016. Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Patrick Pipkin waves flags and shouts, "Freedom!" as the Colorado City and Hildale Fourth of July Parade makes its way down Central Street in Hildale, UT, and Colorado City, AZ, as part of an Independence Day celebration Saturday July 2, 2016.

The Salt Lake Tribune

· July 4, 2016 12:37 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Hildale • Residents in the polygamous towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., on Saturday threw an Independence Day celebration two days early.

A parade from Hildale to Colorado City was organized by people who no longer follow the leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The parade ended at Cottonwood Park, which served as headquarters for a party that was estimated to have attracted as many as 6,000 people. Many of the visitors were former FLDS members living as far away as Canada.

It's the second year Independence Day celebrations have returned to the Hildale and Colorado City, collectively known as Short Creek. Such celebrations were forbidden for years by FLDS leaders, but dissidents in 2015 decided to celebrate both American independence and their own.