As people in Utah celebrate the state's Mormon heritage with Pioneer Day marches and celebrations, an increasingly popular counter-holiday sees its fans whooping it up for Pie and Beer Day.
In Salt Lake City, they gather along the route of their own parade, chowing down on pies and quaffing brews to mark the made-up holiday that sprang up between 10 and 15 years ago.
The official Pioneer Day, celebrating the day in 1847 when Mormon pioneers ended their long and arduous journey from Illinois and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, is still by far the bigger affair.
Many government offices and businesses have traditionally closed for the holiday every July 24, giving workers — both Mormon and non-Mormons — the day off.
It was mostly non-Mormons looking for something else to do with the free day who began the Pie and Beer Day celebrations, complete with alcohol, something definitely not a part of Pioneer Day.
"It's saying: 'We're going to take your holiday and celebrate it our way,'" said Daniel Baker, a 25-year-old former Mormon who celebrated with beer and pie Friday at a local brewpub. "If you get the day off, why not have a holiday to celebrate?"
No disrespect of the Mormon religion or its followers is intended, and both holidays are conducted in harmonious coexistence, Pie and Beer Day celebrants are quick to point out.
"We're poking the bear a little bit, but we're not disrespectful," Leslie Sutter, owner of a local saloon in Hunstville, told The New York Times during last year's celebrations. "It's about kind of accepting the confines of our culture while celebrating our rebellious spirit."
About two-thirds of Utah's residents are members of the Mormon faith.
The Mormon Church declined to offer comment on the faux holiday, but few Mormons seem to mind.
"To each person his own," says Chris Chandler, 42, a Mormon father of seven from Cedar Hills. "As long as it doesn't infringe on my rights and how I want to live my life, do whatever you want."
For many years, Pie and Beer Day was a low-key backyard celebration, but it has become increasingly popular in recent years with the help of social media.
Many of Utah's bars and restaurants feature special offerings for Pie and Beer Day, often offering beers from local breweries paired with a selection of pies from local bakeries.
Apple pie and a nice cold IPA? Or blueberry and ale? Your choice on Pie and Beer Day.
