South Ogden City held its annual South Ogden Days Festival throughout the past week, honoring the town, spotlighting local community members and organizations, and just giving its residents an opportunity to relax. The festival began June 17 and ended yesterday, June 24 and featured a variety of events, including an Amazing Adventure Race, basketball, golf, and mud volleyball tournaments, 5K and mile races, a parade, a car show, and a carnival featuring rides, live music and fireworks.

“It’s really been something that’s been enjoy(ed) by all the citizens of our city, and I’m one of them,” said South Ogden City Mayor James Minster. “I enjoy South Ogden Days.”

Minster said the event used to be held on the Fourth of July, but since there were so many small cities holding festivities around that time, South Ogden opted to change the date years back.

“We finally got to a point where it’s as large as we would like it to be, and we’ve been using that format for the past eight years or so,” Minster said.

South Ogden Days kicked off June 17 with the Amazing Adventure Race, a two-person team race in which participants followed clues to different “pit stop” locations around South Ogden, where they completed various challenges. Teams were scored on each challenge, with the top team winning $1,000 in prize money.

Residents also had the opportunity to show off their athletic skills throughout the week with a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a mud volleyball tournament and golf tournament. Thursday night was family night at the South Ogden Nature Park. Mountain Ridge handed out popcorn for attendants watching “Rise of the Guardians,” a family movie screened in the park. Thursday also featured a Kid’s K, one-mile Nature Trail Walk, and 5K twilight fun run.

Perhaps the highlight and biggest day for the festival was Saturday.

“I really enjoy the activities that take place on Saturday for the most part,” Minster said. “Saturday’s a lot of fun because there’s so many people there.”

Saturday morning floats and entries marched through the city’s streets as part of the South Ogden Days Parade, beginning and ending at South Ogden Junior High. Jamie Krause teaches at Bonneville High School, and some of her students performed in the parade as part of Bonneville’s Drumline. She said she’s attended the festival for the past three years, and she’s had a good time.

After the parade, attendants headed to Friendship Park to visit the carnival, complete with rides, carnival games, food, more than 60 vendors, live music and a fireworks display.

Kyle Davidson attended the carnival with his family — his wife, son, some of his siblings and his cousin.

“It’s a good time to come out with the family,” said Davidson, who said he grew up in the area and remembers attending the festivals throughout his childhood. “I mean, now I’m bringing my own son to these things. Owen (Davidson’s son) is loving the rides, and I think he’s eaten about $40 worth of cotton candy.”

The country rock band Little Texas performed a free concert Saturday evening with hundreds of people in chairs and on blankets watching the performance. After the concert, South Ogden put on a fireworks display.

South Ogden Days also aimed to help capture the community’s energy and excitement for a good cause. The city teamed up with Catholic Community Services to collect donations throughout the week for a food drive benefiting the organization. Catholic Community Services helps more than 2,000 households per month in Davis, Morgan and Weber counties.