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Sarah Smith holds down a circle of sparkly green as the spray glue dries the paper to the newspaper mache float figure. Nearly all miniature float designs are kept secret from the public until the day of the Lehi parade, on a Friday the last full week in June, when the float is pulled out of its hiding place. Photo by Cathy Allred

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Float committee chairwoman Kryssi Rees holds the ladder steady has Kerry Schwartz, first counselor of the YSA 2nd Ward, discusses placement of a "claw" with her. Since the 1920s, the friendly competitiveness of the Miniature Float Parade has kept float designs classified information until the day of the event. Photo by Cathy Allred

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LEHI — Top secret projects are being hidden from the public in Lehi, locked in barns and garages away from view. Normally outstanding citizens, some residents have considered spying on other neighbors in the community.

Who they are and what their projects are may surprise you – adults involved in miniature float building.

Thoughts of spying on other committees to find out what designs the other groups are working on has crossed Kryssi Rees’s mind. The possibility of a mole in the group working on the float, however unlikely, has also occurred to the 25-year-old chairwoman of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Young Single Adults 2nd Ward float committee.

“We’ve been kind of careful,” she said. “I’ll admit the first couple years I would try to spy sometimes.”

Spies and classified operatives in Lehi are a seasonal part of Round-Up preparations beginning in March, when float committee leaders register the name and design of their float with the organizers.

Since then, float makers have been meeting in Lehi barns, garages, sheds or anything that protects their secret miniature float designs from being spied on by others until the first Round-Up float parade on Friday.

“This ward has quite a tradition,” said Kerry Schwartz, first counselor for the YSA 2nd Ward.

“They placed sweepstakes one year and placed in one of the top floats the other years,” he said.

With only a few days left until the floats are presented for judging, many of the dozens of miniature float committees in the community are having a meeting frenzy so members can complete the 8- by 10-foot floats on time.

Family Home Evening, an LDS program, is at a barn for YSA 2nd Ward members. Cupcakes, punch and popcorn are displayed on a table outside while most of the young adults are busy working in the barn on their top secret float.

For many of the adults working on the YSA ward float, it’s their first time. It’s different for Ali Adams, who said she can remember walking with the floats as a young child.

“I was probably 8 years old,” Adams said. “I like watching them when they are done in the parade and seeing all the wards’ creativity coming together to make something fun for the town.”

Preparing the floats is also a way to meet together with others in a casual setting outside the church building for young LDS members. Sarah Smith is originally from Syracuse, New York, and was introduced to miniature float building through her ward. As a surprise benefit, Sarah Smith met Drew Payne while helping with the 2010 YSA float. They are engaged to be married.

Kryssi Rees has been on the YSA committee for five years and is serving her second year as chairwoman. She too remembers walking in the Miniature Float Parade.

Rees used to devote 50 hours a week for months before the parade getting the float ready. Because of knee surgery, she has had to step back and direct more.

“They think I’m crazy, they all think I’m crazy,” she said of her family.

Her passion for float building isn’t new — it’s the same passion many of the early float makers had in Lehi. Residents would spy on one another trying to see float designs. Discovery of someone spying became gossip fodder for the small town.

Creators of miniature floats need to follow specific guidelines and occasionally some floats get disqualified for exceeding the limitations. Floats cannot be taller than 10 feet off the ground and each float must be pulled by children or adults without motorized hauling.

The competition is a strictly budgeted, amateurs-only contest. Judges award sweepstakes, first, second and third place based on points for colorfulness, special effects, attention to detail and use of children.

Adherence to the celebration theme is also judged. This year’s theme is “Memories of ….”

The tradition of the Miniature Float Parade began in the 1920s according to the Lehi Civic Improvement Association history on Lehi Round-Up. Adults would build miniature floats and children would decorate wagons and bikes. Organizers began giving out awards for the best floats by 1926 and the competition evolved to what the Miniature Float Parade is today.