Program

Legends & Lore®

Subject

Event, Site

Location

15 N Main St, Mendon, UT 84325, USA

Lat/Long

41.708484141875, -111.97698441065

Grant Recipient

Utah State University

The folk-art tradition of May Day has been practiced in the town of Mendon, Utah for over 160 years. The custom hails from a similar springtime festival held in ancient Europe. This longstanding celebration started in Mendon when the first “May Queen,” Seny Sorenson, was crowned with a hand-woven wreath of fresh flowers in 1863. Every year since, Mendon has celebrated the return of spring with traditional attire, dancing, singing, and gatherings. The townspeople select a young woman to play the May Queen, and a coronation ceremony is held in her honor on the first Saturday in May. With the picturesque backdrop of the Wellsville Mountains, spectators watch the Queen’s court proceed to the town square. After months of rehearsal, young girls wearing matching floral dresses perform a dance while braiding colorful ribbons around Maypoles. Residents sing long-established songs, including the beloved tune “Come to the Woodland” to celebrate the May Queen and the beauty of spring. A traditional program inside the old church house is held afterwards. This time-honored event is central to the community identity of Mendon.