By Heather Lawrence | [email protected]

Horses proudly trotted historic Main Street in Sandy on Sept. 10. The horse parade was a tradition brought back by Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski, an avid equestrian. A classic car show, food trucks and live music at the Main Street Park all followed the parade as part of the Heritage Festival.

“I brought back the horse parade in Sandy to honor our city’s rich agricultural heritage. It has been 15 years since we held a horse parade and the city has changed so much in that time,” Zoltanski said.

The event was well-attended by the neighborhood. The route started at 90 E. Main Street (8720 South). Riders led their horses up Main Street to Center Street, then circled around the route again and ended at a church parking lot on 220 E. 8670 South where they stored their gear and horse trailers.

The parade had been held in other locations in earlier years, but Zoltanski liked the idea of the historic neighborhood.

“Sandy’s historic neighborhood is the heart of the origins of Sandy. We knew the Heritage Festival was the perfect place to hold the first horse parade because the neighbors love and appreciate the fact that Sandy City started as a farming and agricultural center of the valley,” the mayor said.  

The boundaries of Historic Sandy are roughly 8400 South to 9000 South and State Street to 700 East. Several of the houses are on the Historic Register. Sandy City has specific plans for the area, which include creating “a sense of belonging and community pride” in the neighborhood.

“We would like to hold more events in the historic district to bring the whole city down to the area. It’s a great reminder of the past and a place of pride for all residents, not just those who live there.

“The architecture of the homes and businesses, as well as the history and the community are a unique corner of Sandy. They should be appreciated and preserved,” Zoltanski said.

The Davies family of Sandy are friends of Zoltanski’s. She asked their daughters Priya, 13, and Lydia, 9, to help in the parade by carrying a banner ahead of the horses. She even gave them duplicates of her signature red cowgirl hats to wear.

“This was really fun. It was the first time I’ve been in a parade, but I’ve been around horses before. Monica (Zoltanski) has invited us to her house to ride horses. I’ve ridden lots of different ones and I like all of them,” Priya said.

“She (Zoltanski) used to have a tiny horse, a little baby one that I liked to ride. It was so fun!” Lydia said.

Both girls hope they can be involved in the parade again, this time riding horses.

“It was amazing to see how excited the kids were to see horses walking down their street which is becoming a rare sighting in the valley. The kids and parents gathered around the horses after the parade to see these magnificent creatures up close,” Zoltanski said.

After the parade, families made their way to the Main Street Park. Tables and chairs were set up so people could enjoy the live music, wander the booths and get something to eat from the food trucks.

There was also a lineup of classic cars on display. Mike Burn of Sandy brought his 1949 Plymouth Business Coupe. There was also a 1928 green and black Ford Model A, a black 1941 Cadillac, a bright red early model Ford and plenty of muscle cars.  

Zoltanski said the Heritage Festival is an important part of honoring the roots of the people who came before us in Sandy. She said neighborhoods with an agricultural focus on farming and urban homesteading are an important part of the local economy.

“We are already planning to make next year’s horse parade bigger and better and continue the proud tradition for years to come,” Zoltanski said. “The horse parade drew increased attendance at the Heritage Festival, so we felt like it was a huge success!”