From Pride Days to Celebrate Blackfoot: A community tradition evolves
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BLACKFOOT — Long before Celebrate Blackfoot packed Jensen Grove with food vendors, fireworks and family activities, the city celebrated with a weeklong tradition known as Blackfoot Pride Days.
While the exact dates are uncertain, from the late 1980s through about 2014, Pride Days was among the town’s most anticipated events, right behind the Eastern Idaho State Fair.
Longtime residents recall painted storefront windows, wearing colorful Pride Days T-shirts emblazoned with a giant black foot, and community events that stretched across an entire week.
Pride Days beginnings
Longtime Blackfoot resident Maurine Taylor, then known as Maurine Hill, spearheaded the event from the start. Today, at 85 years old, Taylor still lives in Blackfoot and looks back fondly on the tradition she helped create.
At the time, the word “pride” simply referred to community pride and celebrating what made Blackfoot special. Taylor said she approached then-Mayor Dean Hill with the idea of creating an event that would bring residents together to do just that.
“I got the OK from the city. He (the mayor) told me to go for it,” Taylor said.
What followed were months of knocking on doors to recruit sponsors and volunteers for what would become a week packed with activities unique to Blackfoot.
Events ranged from a free baked-potato feed — which helped inspire the Idaho Potato Museum’s longtime “Free Taters for Out-of-Staters” campaign — to a ping-pong ball drop in which a local pilot flew over Jensen Grove and released hundreds of numbered balls, with the numbers corresponding to prizes donated by local merchants.
“Starting early and lots of delegating were the keys,” Taylor told EastIdahoNews.com.
After successfully organizing Blackfoot’s first Pride Days celebration, Taylor said she was filled with pride herself.
“I will never forget the feeling of looking around and seeing all the teenagers dancing at the street dance and people having fun,” she said.
Over the years, Pride Days became known for events such as the light parade, poker run, melodrama performances, car shows and snowmobile races across Jensen Grove, which drew spectators from throughout the region.
Around 2014, organizers renamed the event Celebrate Blackfoot. Some residents say the change helped avoid confusion as the term “Pride” became more commonly associated with LGBTQ pride celebrations, while others felt the festival was due for a fresh identity as it evolved into a shorter event centered around pre-Independence Day festivities.
Either way, Taylor said she understands and respects the decision to change the name.
Taylor was also instrumental in starting the Blackfoot Community Players and the opening of the Idaho Potato Museum.
“I didn’t realize at the time that I was building a legacy,” she said. “It’s amazing to me that something I started is still happening.”
Celebrate Blackfoot
Fast forward to 2026. Celebrate Blackfoot will be held Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, at Jensen Grove.
Organizers say this year’s Celebrate Blackfoot carries special significance as the city marks its 125th anniversary while the nation commemorates America’s 250th birthday.
“We’ve been celebrating America250 all year long — and for Celebrate Blackfoot, we’re going to focus on Blackfoot 125 in conjunction with America’s birthday,” said Jaime Popejoy, executive director of the Greater Blackfoot Chamber of Commerce.
One new attraction this year is a Pioneer Settlement experience scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.
“Families can come and do things that pioneers did, like churning butter, gathering fresh chicken eggs and scrubbing laundry on a washboard,” Popejoy said.
The weekend will also feature a new burnout competition sponsored by Tadd Jenkins, where drivers will compete to create massive clouds of tire smoke in a spectacular display of horsepower.
Other activities include the Smoke and Wings Barbecue Competition at the airport from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, a car show, cornhole tournament, kids’ zone, food vendors and a fireworks show beginning at 10 p.m. Saturday.
Returning favorites and several new food vendors will be on hand, including East Meets West, Knots and Nibbles, and Cindy Lou’s Kitchen.
Although the name changed over the years, organizers say the mission remains the same as it was during the Pride Days era: pride in the community and bringing people together to celebrate Blackfoot.
“We are so thankful for our sponsors each year for making Celebrate Blackfoot such a fun event for our community,” Popejoy said.
Because rain and wind are in the forecast, some activities may be moved or adjusted. Organizers encourage attendees to follow Celebrate Blackfoot on Facebook for the latest updates in case of bad weather.
