As part of Military Appreciation Day, day-use entrance fees into all Utah state parks will be waived for active service members or veterans and their families on Saturday, Aug. 15, in honor and recognition of the contributions of military members of the community. Each of the 42 Utah state parks—including Frontier Homestead State Park in Cedar City—will feature special military-related activities or displays.
Frontier Homestead State Park will present a number of military-themed activities for young and old alike from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The park will fire their cannon on the hour for the duration of the event. Visitors will have the opportunity to step back in time to see what it was like to live life as frontier soldiers. The family-friendly activities planned for Military Appreciation Day include learning close-order drills, writing letters with ink and quill, learning to communicate with signal flags and secret codes, playing frontier games, and more. Visitors will also have access to hands-on historical activity stations at the park.
The Iron Mission State Park—now called the Frontier Homestead State Park—was established in 1973 to preserve and interpret the history of the founding of Cedar City in 1851, highlighting the efforts to complete and operate a blast furnace and iron foundry. The park features a junior curator program, rotating art exhibits, hands-on activities for large groups, and a reference library and offers rental opportunities to the public.
Admission to Frontier Homestead State Park on Military Appreciation Day is $5 per family, with free admission for active service members and veterans and their families, as well as Friends of the Frontier Homestead members. Frontier Homestead is located at 635 North Main Street in Cedar City.
For more information about Frontier Homestead or Military Appreciation Day, call (435) 586-9290 or visit www.facebook.com/friendsofthefrontierhomestead, or www.frontierhomestead.org.
