Pony Express Days kicks off May 27 with babies and toddlers competing in the finals for the 2008 Eagle Mountain Baby Contest, the "Boot Scootin' Boogie."

"We changed it this year to photos because last year we had so many and like this room wasn't big enough to hold everybody it was getting so congested," said event organizer Angie Ferre during a May 8 interview. "The top 10 boys and girls of each category will actually come in for judging by folks outside of Eagle Mountain City."

The deadline to get a photo of your baby with a completed registration form submitted to the city library, 1650 E. Stagecoach Run, is Tuesday.

The annual Eagle Mountain city celebration stretches nearly two weeks and is packed with new and traditional activities.

Unique to city celebrations in the area, Pony Express Days hosts a kids scavenger hunt and a family geocaching hunt, planned for May 29; Home for a Hero, May 30; Public Health and Safety Fair, June 1; dune buggy tours, June 4 and June 5; helicopter rides, June 5 to June 7; and a blockbuster concert called "Triple Threat" featuring Blackhawk, Little Texas and Restless Heart at the Silverlake Amphitheater on June 7.

"Home for a Hero is going to be an awesome event. We have several third graders that will be coming over to sing. We'll have soldiers in uniform, firefighters and police in uniform lining the streets that basically will be saluting to this family and singing as they come up," Ferre said. "There will be free food -- hamburgers and hotdogs -- that is going to be a fun, great event."

The Gordie Ewell family were awarded a home in the Home for a Hero program and will receive the key to move into their completed home during the ceremony. Ewell, a veteran who served in Iraq, has several medical challenges caused by explosions he was involved in while working there.

Tickets for the three-headliner concert are on sale at Eagle Mountain City Hall, also at 1650 E. Stagecoach Run or at SmithsTix. Cost is $15 per person and kids 2 and under are free. Fireworks will conclude the show and signal the conclusion of the 12-day Pony Express Days.

The Health and Safety Fair organizers have geared the fair towards Eagle Mountain residential needs.

"You know Eagle Mountain is one of the biggest communities that has soldiers return home, we're right by Camp Williams, you know from Iraq," Ferre said. So we have [a] nonprofit organization coming out that will help soldiers when they return home to get counseling, to get jobs if need be. They are basically there for the families and for the soldiers, but we have a lot a lot of different organizations come in."

There will be a blood drive, a medical helicopter, Meals on Wheels and about 50 booths representing a variety of services.

"Like we have had the new car seat laws that have come into effect and so we want to tell everybody about that," she said.

No annual city celebration would be without its traditions and Pony Express Days is no different with a parade, golf tournament, 5K run, petting zoo, concert in the park, carnival, softball tournament, fair with carnival and vendor booths, local talent show, outdoor movie, Dutch oven cook-off and a pancake breakfast.

Carnival pre-sale tickets are $15 for 30 tickets and are being sold at all three Eagle Mountain elementary schools with 10 percent of the ticket sales going back to all the schools' PTAs. At the carnival rides will cost two to four tickets a ride.

Even traditions in Eagle Mountain have a unique Pony Express Days signature with activities such as the firefighter-hosted May 31 pancake breakfast at City Hall having a pancake table where children can decorate their pancakes with butterflies, smiles and other designs.

"Lynn Story wanted that this year to bring the community together," Ferre said. Story was the civic event planner in charge of Pony Express Days. She passed away in her sleep while on vacation in Moab May 4. The city has dedicated Pony Express Days in her name.

The Concert in the Park will be a family event with a pre-event carnival activity.

"It's going to be the big picnic in the park, we have the Youth Council, Miss Eagle Mountain royalty and staff members are all putting on a big free carnival - face painting, games, the kids can win different prizes, we're going to have like the fishing pond, the kids can dig for dinosaur bones and candy in wrappers," Ferre said. "It's all free, it will not cost a thing."

With more than 100 entries expected in their parade, there are bagpipe bands, floats, royalty, military processions, dignitaries, city officials, and likely more candy than usually seen at any city celebration in Utah County.

"Our parade is probably the last one, as you know, in the county that allows candy throwing and they leave with half a Smith's bag full of candy and shirts and toothbrushes," Ferre said. "Our kids leave with a lot of stuff. We try and make it worth it."

Residents and visitors may want to plan ahead to get as much of the activities in as possible during Pony Express Days. Registration, or reservations for the softball tournament June 3 through June 5, the co-ed softball championship on June 6, the dune buggy tours, golf tournament on June 6, men's 3-on-3 basketball championship June 4 and June 5, the 5K and Kids Fun Run on June 7 and the June 7 Dutch oven cook-off are being taken now.

More information on registration and contacts is available at www.emcity.org.