| Actors play the parts of the early settlers of Emery County. |
In 1977, following a directive from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to its wards and stakes to form an activities committee, Montell Seely and Carol Ann Driggs began working on an idea Seely had been having for some time. His idea was to tell the story of the colonization of Castle Valley and Emery County in pageant form. A pageant committee was formed and the idea became the birth of the Castle Valley Pageant which was first performed in 1978.
Now in it’s 30th year, the Castle Valley Pageant will again be performed at the pageant site near Castle Dale, with many talented local cast members. The pageant also uses live animals and real pioneer covered wagons. Each evening before the performance, a Pioneer Village is presented so that visitors may get a glance at the life of the pioneers to this valley.
The visitors are treated to samples of homemade bread, ice cream, and Dutch oven cooking, while watching the pioneers weave rag rugs, make horseshoes, make jewelry from horseshoe nails, quilt, card wool, spin wool, and milk cows.
The pageant will run Aug. 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, with the festivities beginning each evening at 6:30 p.m.