Brigham Young arrived in the Salt Lake Valley with the first wagons of Mormon pioneers on 24 July 1847. The Nuku'alofa Central Stake, made up of seven congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined together to celebrate the arrival of the Utah pioneers and the pioneers of Tonga.
- Cowboys and Sailors honor a rich heritage in Nuku’alofa parade
- Nuku’alofa Central Stake President Nau with two of the pioneer dancers
- Dancers on stage in Nuku’alofa Pioneer Day Celebration
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
The celebration began with a parade that started at the house that the first Mormon missionaries in occupied Nuku'alofa. The parade was led by the Unuaki-o-Tonga Royal Institute Brass Band, dressed in smart green uniform jackets and crisp white pants. Colorful floats with a pioneer theme created by the various congregations followed the band down a local street, onto the main street of Nuku'alofa, and ended at the Nuku'alofa Central Stake Centre.
Following the parade, dancers aged 3 to 11 from each of the congregations performed western dances to enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience. The Old Timers string band played rousing music and the brass band performed several numbers.
A visiting Mormon missionary from Utah, Gae Pearce, said that "the entertainment was lively and it was great fun to watch the children performing. I loved the giant mural and the handcart on the stage made it feel like home." Her husband, Terry Pearce, noted that "as a church we have strong ties to our ancestors. I'm so glad our members celebrate their Tongan heritage and also feel a part of early Church history."