OREM — As Latin American countries go, small landlocked Paraguay doesn’t always register top on the radar screen of Americans.

“We are a very small country in South America, so many people don’t know about us,” said Viviana Figueredo, originally from Asunción, the Paraguayan capital, and now living in American Fork.

A small contingent from the country now calls Utah home, though, and in a bid to bolster the community’s profile, Paraguayans in Utah — made up of expatriates from the country — is holding a public festival Saturday to mark the country’s independence from Spain. The event, open to the public, goes from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday and will be held at City Center Park at Center Street and 300 East in Orem.

“We’re trying to get people to know more about us and what we’re doing,” said Figueredo, a leader in the group.

Two other events are also planned along the Wasatch Front to highlight the varied cultures in the area:

• The city of Ogden is hosting a Living Heritage Festival on Friday from 4-8 p.m. and Saturday from noon-8 p.m. at Union Station, 2501 Wall Ave. The aim is to “promote public awareness, understanding and appreciation for the diverse cultural heritage of northern Utah” through dance, food, art, music and vendors, reads the Facebook announcement of the event.
• Historic Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church of Salt Lake City is hosting an event to collect artifacts, documents and personal remembrances representative of the history of Utah’s Black community. It goes from noon-4 p.m. and will be held at the church, 239 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

‘A minority among minorities’

Though the Paraguayan community is small, it was the focus of a proposed measure in the 2024 legislative session earlier this year, HJR20, to honor those from the country now living in Utah. The resolution passed in the Utah House 71-0 but stalled as the session came to an end.

“Paraguayan pioneers who have chosen Utah as home may be a minority among minorities,” Nicole Laudie Rolón said at a committee hearing on the measure in February. “But they unquestionably play, in my opinion, a unique and indispensable part in preserving and expanding the diversity and good in our state.”

Laudie Rolón is co-founder of Paraguayans in Utah and the mother of two Paraguayan American children.

Sebastian Benitez, of Ogden, who moved to Utah from Paraguay in 2000, also addressed HJR20 during the committee hearing, noting his community involvement in Ogden. He has lobbied for sidewalk improvements and ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Ogden in 2015.

“I am fighting for my community in Ogden,” he said. “I am grateful to be here in the United States. I am grateful to be American, and we are here to serve this country.”

Benitez estimates around 1,000 people of Paraguayan descent now live in Utah, up from 37 when he moved to the state. U.S. Census Bureau estimates from 2022 put the number at 512, among the smallest contingents in the state of all Latin American countries.

Paraguay gained independence from Spain over a two-day period, May 14-15, 1811, and those in the country hold celebrations over the two days. On display at the Orem event on Saturday will be traditional music and dancing, including the bottle dance, which features dancers balancing a bottle on their heads. Traditional Paraguayan food will also be offered — asaditos, similar to kebabs, and yuca (cassava). It must be ordered online ahead of time by Friday, according to Figueredo.

‘Ensuring that our voices and stories are heard’

Saturday’s event to collect items and remembrances related to Utah’s Black history is a follow-up to a similar effort held last March at Hill Air Force Base. The Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation of West Valley City, the Utah Historical Society and the Utah Black Chamber of Commerce, among other groups, are also involved.

“This is a unique opportunity for you to share your stories and contribute to a legacy that will enlighten future generations. Your participation is crucial in ensuring that our voices and stories are heard and remembered,” Daryell Jackson, pastor of the Holy Trinity church in Salt Lake, said in announcing the effort.

The fiery red rock formations, orange hoodoos (fantastical rock columns) and ombre canyons of Utah’s national parks are a colorful reminder that, sometimes, nature enjoys showing off. Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion — known collectively as the Mighty Five — boast otherworldly scenery that leaves visitors feeling connected to Earth and eager to explore it.

Arches National Park, Moab 

Arches is not a misnomer, but visitors still might not be prepared for how many of these rock formations are in the park. More than 2,000 natural stone arches, including Landscape Arch, the longest in North America, are scattered across 76,519 acres. Trails lead to park icons like the Delicate Arch and Park Avenue, an area where the sandstone spires resemble skyscrapers. While exploring the park, see how many ephemeral pools you can spot. These are natural sandstone basins that collect rain water and sediment and turn into habitats for plants and animals. Due to their fleeting nature, they can be present one day and gone the next.

Note: Visitors who plan on coming before Oct. 31, 2024, need to have a timed entry ticket to gain access to the park.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon

Hoodoos, craggy rock formations that take on an ethereal glow at sunrise and sunset, are testaments to time and erosion. Thousands of these orange and tan spires form natural amphitheaters in Bryce Canyon, giving the park the distinction of having the world’s largest concentration of hoodoos. If you want to get close to them, set out on the Sunset Point to Sunrise Point trail, which is paved and offers a sweeping view. To see a different, less crowded side of Bryce Canyon, hit the backcountry and hike through forests and meadows. Keep in mind that Bryce Canyon’s altitude ranges from 8,000 feet to more than 9,000 feet, so prepare accordingly.  

Canyonlands National Park, Moab

Canyonlands calls to adventurers with four distinct districts to explore: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze and Rivers. Island in the Sky is a mesa with unending views of canyons, sandstone towers and the Green River, and more accessible than the remote Maze, which draws backcountry enthusiasts. Hundreds of striped sandstone spires stand tall in The Needles, where some areas can only be reached via 4-wheel-drive vehicles. The Rivers — Colorado and Green — offer kayaking and canoeing in the late spring and early summer when water levels are at their highest. If you can only do one hike at Canyonlands, make it the Mesa Arch Trail. At 0.6 miles roundtrip, it is one of the shortest hikes in the park and takes visitors to the iconic Mesa Arch.

Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey

Look closely while walking by the Navajo sandstone rock formations in Capitol Reef. Etched into many of the surfaces are petroglyphs by the Fremont people, who drew human figures, wildlife and abstract designs. In the Fruita Historic District, visitors can see several of these ancient petroglyphs, plus historical sites like the Gifford Homestead and one-room Fruita Schoolhouse. Camping here is a quaint experience, with the 71 sites surrounded by orchards dating to the 1880s and localed near the banks of the Fremont River. For a more rugged experience, head to the Cathedral Valley District, a remote area popular with stargazers who enjoy night photography.

Zion National Park, Springdale

As Utah’s first national park, Zion set the bar high. There is much to admire about this space, which offers a well-rounded experience for visitors who only want to take a scenic drive around the park to those who plan on staying for days to hike as much as possible. For the thrill-seeker, there is no greater adventure than taking on Angels Landing, a steep and strenuous climb that involves footholds and chain handrails. The Narrows offers a less harrowing but equally beautiful journey through Zion Canyon. Hikers make their way through the gorge via the Virgin River, so dress accordingly and wear shoes that can get wet. It is incredible to see the canyon walls from this vantage point, and the only way to get closer is to obtain a permit to go canyoneering. 

Note: Everyone who hikes Angels Landing must secure a permit prior to arriving at the park.

By Rick Bowmer and Amy Beth Hanson | Associated Press

SANDY, Utah — Two backcountry skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche Thursday in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City that occurred after several days of spring snowstorms, authorities said.

A rescue team responded just after 10 a.m. to an avalanche reported near Lone Peak in the Wasatch Range southeast of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said.

One of the skiers, who was able to dig himself out of the snow, had been rescued by midday and was taken to the hospital, Rivera said.

A rescue team in a helicopter flew over the area Thursday afternoon and confirmed the other two skiers were deceased, Rivera said. They are two men, ages 23 and 32. Their names have not been released, but their families have been notified, the sheriff said.

Conditions were not safe enough to allow for a recovery on Thursday, and crews planned to go out Friday morning, weather permitting, Rivera said.

Rivera said she believed the man who was rescued was the one who called for help. Officers were speaking with him at the hospital to get more information about what happened, the sheriff said.

The skiers hiked into the area Thursday morning, she said.

Craig Gordon with the Utah Avalanche Center said about 2.5 feet (76 centimeters) of heavy, wet snow fell in the area in the past three days.

The skiers would have had to have been very experienced to even be in the “very serious terrain,” he said.

The deaths bring this winter’s tally of avalanche deaths to 15, which is less than the average of about 30 people who are killed by avalanches in the U.S. every year.

Hanson reported from Helena, Montana.