Why Payson Celebrates Onion Days

                                    HISTORY–WHY WE CELEBRATE ONION DAS

                                                          Payson Historical Society

                                                                             

            Dr. L. D. Stewart, a local physician, took over as mayor of Payson in January of 1928.  Early in the summer of 1928, Paysonian's Club representatives, Dr. Louis N. Ellsworth and Dr. L. C. Potter from Salt Lake City met with mayor Stewart and  suggested that Payson sponsor a homecoming celebration for the community as well as former residents who would like to attned and renew old acquaintances..

            Dr. Stewart later called together the heads of all civic and church organizations, city officials, and civic leaders at a banquet held at Arrowhead Resort in Benjamin where he presented the proposal.

            They received the idea enthusiastically. The idea was introduced to build a suitable place to conduct a sports program to feature the celebration. They decided a race track would be a good drawing card.

            State officials later suggested that to help the .general economy,  each community should promote one of its best crops through a summer celebration. The idea of an annual celebration had already been discussed by Payson civic leaders. They searched their minds for a crop that would be representative of the city. A new crop, onions, was then being grown in Payson fields, with results that were surprising even to the farmers. After much discussion, the onion was selected as a motif. Golden Onion Days and Homecoming was the name by which the Payson celebration was to be known..

            Ralph Done, a former Payson resident, offered to donate a large sum of money toward the  project  if an athletic and sports field to  be called Done Field was part of the race track property.  It was to serve as memorial  to the Done family. With this and local help through contribution in cash and labor, in less than a month this field was ready.  The north end provided space for track and football activities of the high school. The south end was arranged for softball, baseball, etc. The  race track for horse racing surrounded the area with stables and a large grandstand.

            In the fall of 1929, Mayor Stewart issued a proclamation announcing the “Onion Harvest and Home Coming,” He urged all citizens and former citizens to aid in every possible way to patronize and support this new celebration.   The name of the celebration was later changed to “Payson Onion Days and Homecoming.

            The first Golden Days and Homecoming  was held in mid-September 1929.  Several years later it was  changed to the Labor Day weekend.  This year will mark the 87th Anniversary of the Payson Golden Onion Days and Homecoming.  This annual celebration now attracts thousands to the community for the festivities which are held on the Labor Day weekend.   There are many family reunions and school reunions as well as the mammoth parade held on Labor Day.  The parade attracts thousands to the community for the final day of the celebration. 

            There is also a community sponsored Art and Flower Show held at the Peteetneet. Museum.  There are many other activities like the Annual Car Show and the Concert sponsored by Mountain View Hospital each year.  The concert always has a well-known entertainer and there are thousands that attend the concert at the Peteetneet Amphitheater.