Payson adding four new events to annual Onion Days celebration
Michael Cheney prepares his Dutch oven dish as he stands beside his wife, Ashley, both of Santaquin, during the onion and Dutch oven cook-offs as part of Golden Onion Days held Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, at the pavilion outside of the Payson Pool. Cheney prepared Dutch oven chicken, spare ribs and potatoes. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Roger Hope, left, and his daughter Heather Hope, both of Spanish Fork, are released from the starting blocks and begin to race down the hill on E. 100 South during the soap box derby in this file photo from 2016's Onion Days in Payson. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
For the past 90 years, the city of Payson has held the annual Golden Onion Days as its citywide celebration.
The five-day event that began in 1929 as a way to reunite current and former residents around the onion harvest will do it again. Much like the first Golden Onion Days, there will be a contest for the largest onion that will no doubt be devoured by onion lovers in the area.
And much like the onion that will soon take home the coveted prize, Payson is growing. To accommodate the growth, and with it, the expanding interests of its community members, this year’s festival will add four new events: a duck race, glow-in-the-dark golf, skateboard competition and a pickleball tournament.
According to city event coordinator Janeen Dean, these are all exciting new additions.
“These new events will be a lot of fun, while at the same time, give back to the community,” Dean sad.
The Great Peteeteneet Duck Race will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2, at Memorial Park, and as the name suggests, will help fund the Peteeteneet Museum.
“The historic Peteeteneet Museum is run entirely by volunteers and funded by donations,” Dean said. “This is a fundraiser put on by the volunteers, and all the proceeds will go back into the museum. Participants can purchase ducks starting July 15 at the museum during business hours up until the day of the race, and they can also be purchased during Onion Days next to the information booth. Participants will watch their ducks race downstream, with the winners going for some high stake prizes donated by local businesses”
The Night Golf Tournament will be held at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, on the Gladstan Golf Course, with each participant being given glow-in-the-dark accessories.
“Night golf is going to be a fun event,” Dean said. “We wanted to do a golf tournament but didn’t want to take away from regular hours of business, so we decided on night golf. The cost will be $40 per entrant, which includes nine holes of golf with carts, glow-in-the-dark golf balls and accessories, and will be limited to the first 60 paid entries. All of the proceeds will go back into the Miss Payson Pageant, and Miss Payson will be there to host the event in a glow-in-the-dark tiara..”
The pickleball tournament will be held at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, and 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, at the new pickleball courts at Memorial Park. A ribbon cutting event and pickleball clinic will be held at 6 p.m., Aug. 1 at the courts.
The skateboarding competition will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, at the Payson skate park.
Many other events, including the 5K/10K race, Payson Community Theater’s “Once Upon a Mattress,” carnival, Grand Parade and much more will be part of the week’s festivities that go from Thursday, Aug. 29 to Monday, Sept. 2.