The celebration takes on added significance this year as it coincides with America’s 250th anniversary, giving residents another reason to celebrate the traditions and people who have made Fairview a special place to call home.

Leading the Pioneer Day parade as Grand Marshals will be Ron and Kathie Giles, whose decades of volunteer service and civic leadership have left a lasting impact on the community.

“We feel it an opportunity, an honor, and a privilege to be Grand Marshals for the Fairview Pioneer Days,” the couple said.

Ron, a native of Mount Pleasant, and Kathie, a lifelong Fairview resident, graduated together from North Sanpete High School in 1962 and married in 1968. They made their home in Fairview, where they raised their three children–Tiffani, Patrick and Amy–and now enjoy spending time with their 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Both have devoted much of their lives to serving the community. Ron spent his career with Utah Power & Light, later Rocky Mountain Power, while also serving 22 years in the Utah Army National Guard. He later served 16 years in Fairview city government, including 12 years on the City Council and four years as mayor. During his tenure, the city completed major improvements including upgraded water and sewer systems, construction of the senior center and rodeo arena, and installation of pioneer memorial monuments.

Kathie worked for Nielson’s Buy Way, Far West Bank and Fairview Elementary School, where she spent 33 years working with children. She has also directed her ward’s Christmas Eve program for nearly four decades, served on the Primary Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees board for 30 years, received the City of Fairview’s Shining Star Award, and continues serving on the Festival of Trees Alumni Committee.

Together, the Gileses served as general chairs of Fairview Pioneer Days for 13 years, expanding the celebration from two days to ten days of activities. They also built the city’s parade float by hand for 23 consecutive years and helped establish Fairview’s Demolition Derby, which has become one of the community’s signature events.

Their service has also included 15 years together as ordinance workers in the Manti Utah Temple, receiving Snow College’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000, and currently serving on the Fairview Museum Board, where they help operate the museum gift shop.

Honored as this year’s Fairview City Rodeo Grand Marshal is lifelong resident Clancy Johnson, whose easygoing personality and lifelong involvement in the western lifestyle have made him one of Fairview’s most recognizable residents.

Johnson graduated from North Sanpete High School in 1969, where he was a member of the state championship basketball team and played football while participating in numerous school activities. He later served in an engineering battalion with the Utah National Guard while building high-voltage power lines throughout his career.

Outside of work, Johnson discovered a passion that would define much of his life–horse racing.

For more than 40 years, he bought, raised, bred and raced horses throughout the western United States before retiring from the sport in 2015.

When asked if racing had been successful, Johnson answered with his trademark humility.

“My horses all paid their way,” he said with a smile, “but I didn’t make much outside of that.”

Friends and neighbors know Johnson for his positive outlook on life. When asked how he’s doing, his familiar response is, “Better than I deserve.”

Johnson and his late wife raised three children–K.C., Shaylynn and Davey–and he is now the proud grandfather of two grandchildren.

Whether remembered from his years in horse racing or spotted riding his six-wheeled side-by-side through town, Johnson remains a familiar and beloved figure throughout Fairview.

When informed of his selection as Rodeo Grand Marshal, he characteristically downplayed the recognition.

“I’ve had more fun than most,” Johnson said. “That’s about all I want in the paper. People already know too much about me.”

Representing the next generation of Fairview’s western heritage is 2026 Fairview City Rodeo Queen Kadience Allred.

The daughter of Sam and Traci Allred of Spring City, Allred will be a senior this fall at North Sanpete High School, where she competes in barrel racing on the high school rodeo team and also plays on the school’s softball team.

A fifth-generation horsewoman, Allred says horses and rodeo have always been part of her life.

Growing up immersed in the western lifestyle has taught her the values of hard work, responsibility and perseverance–qualities she hopes to represent during her reign as Rodeo Queen.

When she is not competing in the arena or on the softball field, Allred enjoys spending time with her family and her dog.

She says she is honored to represent Fairview and continue her family’s western traditions while serving as an ambassador for this year’s celebration.

As Fairview prepares for another Pioneer Days celebration, city leaders say the selection of this year’s honorees reflects both the community’s rich history and its promising future.

From the decades of volunteer service provided by Ron and Kathie Giles, to Clancy Johnson’s lifelong contributions to Fairview’s western heritage, and the enthusiasm of Rodeo Queen Kadience Allred, this year’s honorees embody the values of service, family and community that Pioneer Days has celebrated for generations.

Residents and visitors alike will have the opportunity to recognize each of them as Fairview gathers to celebrate its pioneer heritage and the nation’s 250th anniversary during this year’s Pioneer Days festivities.