Held September 14-20, 2026 · 2027 rodeo September 16-18

Dixie Days 2026 in St. George: Recap and 2027 Dates

St. George's signature week-long heritage celebration — rodeo, parade, carnival, drone show, and festival honoring Southern Utah's pioneer history

Quick Facts

2026 dates
September 14-20, 2026 (third annual)
2027
Rodeo Sept 16-18, parade Sat Sept 18 (Lions Club); full City schedule not yet announced
Where
Downtown St. George: Vernon Worthen Park, Town Square, Dixie Sunbowl, Main Street
Cost
Festival, parade, drone show free; rodeo, carnival and Dash ticketed
Organizer
City of St. George (rodeo and parade: St. George Lions Club)

Dixie Days 2026, which the City of St. George billed as its third annual Dixie Days, ran September 14-20, 2026, in downtown St. George, Utah. For 2027, the St. George Lions Club lists the Dixie Round-Up Rodeo for September 16-18 and the 93rd rodeo parade for Saturday, September 18, at 9 a.m. The City has not yet posted the rest of the 2027 Dixie Days schedule (checked October 15, 2026); the 2026 schedule below shows what the week included. From a golf tournament and guided heritage walks to the historic Dixie Round-Up Rodeo, a downtown drone show, and the Dixie Days Festival at Vernon Worthen Park, the week brings together longtime residents and visitors to celebrate the community's pioneer roots.

The Dixie Days Tradition

The festival's name honors Southern Utah's historic identity as "Utah's Dixie" — the region settled by Mormon pioneers sent south from Salt Lake City by Brigham Young in the 1860s to grow cotton for the territory, drawn by a warm climate that reminded settlers of the American South. St. George became the hub of that cotton mission and grew into the region's largest city. Dixie Days celebrates that pioneer heritage through guided heritage walks (Dixie Treks), historic site tours, and the long-running Dixie Round-Up Rodeo, alongside modern festival programming that has grown into one of St. George's largest annual community events.

Dixie Days 2026 Weekly Schedule

The 2026 schedule, as published by the City of St. George:

  • Saturday, September 12 — Dixie's Got Talent finale at the America First Performing Arts Center on the Utah Tech campus (7:30 p.m.), presented by the Utah Tech University Entertainment Alliance
  • Monday, September 14 — Four-person scramble golf tournament at Southgate Golf Club (8 a.m.); Concert in the Park with Ned LeDoux at Vernon Worthen Park (7 p.m.); drone show over downtown (9 p.m.)
  • Tuesday and Wednesday, September 15-16 — Dixie Treks guided history walks from City Hall (four departures a day); Utah's Dixie exhibit in the Tabernacle basement; free films at Historic Town Square; Songs of Utah's Dixie concert at the Tabernacle (Tuesday, 7 p.m.); free community night at Utah Tech's Human Performance Center (Wednesday, 6 to 10 p.m.)
  • Thursday, September 17 — Dinner on Main on Main Street between the Tabernacle and St. George Boulevard (5 to 9 p.m.); carnival at Town Square (5 to 10 p.m.); Dixie Round-Up Rodeo at the Dixie Sunbowl (6 to 11 p.m.)
  • Friday, September 18 — Carnival (5 to 11 p.m.) and rodeo (6 to 11 p.m.)
  • Saturday, September 19 — Dixie Days Dash 2K/4K at Vernon Worthen Park (7:45 a.m.); 92nd annual Lions Dixie Round-Up Rodeo Parade (9 a.m.); Dixie Days Festival at Vernon Worthen Park (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.); carnival (noon to 11 p.m.); final rodeo (6 to 11 p.m.)
  • Sunday, September 20 — Carnival at Town Square (noon to 11 p.m.)

How the week is built:

  • Early week (golf, treks, film) — Golf tournament, Concert in the Park, and the downtown drone show open the celebration; guided Dixie Treks heritage walks and film screenings at the Electric Theater continue through midweek
  • Dinner on Main — Community street dining on a closed section of downtown Main Street with local restaurants and vendors
  • Town Square Carnival (Thursday-Sunday) — Multi-day carnival with midway rides, games, and fair food in downtown St. George
  • Dixie Round-Up Rodeo (Thursday-Saturday, 6 to 11 p.m.) — the Lions Club rodeo at the Historic Dixie Sunbowl
  • Saturday — Dixie Days Dash 4K/2K race at 7:45 a.m., the rodeo parade at 9 a.m., and the Dixie Days Festival (live entertainment, vendors, family activities) at Vernon Worthen Park

Source: the City of St. George's official Dixie Days page, which will carry the 2027 schedule, and the St. George Lions Club rodeo site for the rodeo and parade. Upcoming St. George events are on the SGWOM events calendar.

The Dixie Round-Up Rodeo & Parade

The St. George Lions Dixie Round-Up Rodeo runs Thursday through Saturday evenings at the Historic Dixie Sunbowl, 6 to 11 p.m. in 2026, and is ticketed through rodeoticket.com (2027 sales open July 15 at 9 a.m.); children 2 and under are free on a lap, and the Lions Club does not allow outside food or drink. Its parade is older than Dixie Days itself: the 2026 parade was the 92nd annual St. George Lions-Dixie Round-Up Rodeo Parade, stepping off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, through downtown St. George.

Vernon Worthen Park Festival & Town Square Carnival

The Dixie Days Festival ran 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, at Vernon Worthen Park (300 S 400 E), hosted by the Downtown Farmers Market. The 2026 stage lineup was Lindsay Robinson, Bobby and Heather Whitlock, Dixie's Got Talent performers, Drew and Lacey, and the Rio Virgin Band, with free tractor rides, bounce houses and a climbing wall. The carnival midway ran at Town Square on Thursday and Friday evenings and from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with ride tickets sold through the City.

Dixie Days Dash 4K/2K

The Dixie Days Dash is a pioneer-themed 4K and 2K run on the parade route. In 2026 it started at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, from 200 South at 400 East by the pickleball courts, with packet pickup there from 7 a.m. Adults paid $35 for the 4K and $25 for the 2K; kids 12 and under paid $15. Every finisher got a medal, and the top three men, women and youth (12 and under) in each distance got pioneer-themed awards. Street parking near Vernon Worthen Park is very limited, so the City asked runners to carpool.

Downtown Drone Show

Instead of fireworks, Dixie Days has a drone show. In 2026 it began at 9 p.m. on Monday, September 14, after the Ned LeDoux Concert in the Park: hundreds of LED drones from Droneshow.com flew over the Red Hill at the north end of 400 East, with the soundtrack on KONY Country 99.9 FM. The City recommends watching from downtown south of St. George Boulevard, and Vernon Worthen Park is a good spot.

Getting to Downtown St. George and Parking

Dixie Days venues are concentrated in and around downtown St. George, easily reached from anywhere in Washington County via I-15 or St. George Boulevard. Public parking is available near Vernon Worthen Park, Town Square, and the Dixie Sunbowl, though lots fill quickly during the Saturday parade and festival. Downtown streets close to traffic along the parade route — arrive early and expect to walk a few blocks from parking to the main festival grounds.

Combining Dixie Days with Other Activities

Many visitors extend a Dixie Days trip with other Southern Utah recreation. Snow Canyon State Park and Sand Hollow State Park are both a short drive from downtown St. George, and Zion National Park is about 45 minutes east. Downtown St. George itself offers restaurants, shopping, and the Saturday Farmers Market alongside the festival activities, with ample hotel inventory throughout the city for visitors staying the week.

Related St. George Events

Dixie Days is the largest annual celebration in St. George, but Southern Utah hosts several other community festivals throughout the year. See all St George events for what is on today, this weekend and the rest of the year.

Dixie Days FAQ

When is Dixie Days 2027?
The City of St. George has not announced the full Dixie Days 2027 schedule (checked October 15, 2026). The St. George Lions Club, which runs the rodeo and parade, lists the 2027 Lions Dixie Round-Up Rodeo for September 16-18, 2027, and the 93rd annual rodeo parade for Saturday, September 18, 2027, at 9 a.m. Rodeo tickets go on sale July 15, 2027, at 9 a.m. at rodeoticket.com. The 2026 celebration, the third annual Dixie Days, ran September 14-20, 2026.
When is Dixie Days 2026?
Dixie Days 2026, the third annual edition, ran September 14-20, 2026, in St. George, Utah, presented by the City of St. George. The golf tournament, Concert in the Park and drone show opened the week on Monday, with the Dixie Round-Up Rodeo Thursday through Saturday, the carnival Thursday through Sunday, and the Dixie Days Dash, parade and festival on Saturday, September 19. A Dixie's Got Talent finale on Saturday, September 12, came before the week. The City has not announced the full 2027 schedule; the Lions Club lists the 2027 rodeo for September 16-18.
Where is Dixie Days held?
Dixie Days takes place across multiple venues in St. George, Utah, including Vernon Worthen Park (Dixie Days Festival and parade), the Historic Dixie Sunbowl (rodeo), Town Square (carnival), the Electric Theater (film screenings), and Main Street downtown (Dinner on Main).
What happens at Dixie Days?
Dixie Days features a golf tournament, guided heritage walks (Dixie Treks), film screenings at the Electric Theater, a Dinner on Main street-dining event, a multi-day carnival at Town Square, the Dixie Round-Up Rodeo at the Historic Dixie Sunbowl, a Concert in the Park, a synchronized drone light show over downtown, the Dixie Days Dash 4K/2K race, and the Dixie Days Festival — parade, farmers market, live entertainment, and family activities at Vernon Worthen Park.
Is Dixie Days free to attend?
The Dixie Days Festival, parade, drone show, Dixie Treks walks, Town Square film screenings and the Utah Tech Human Performance Center community night were free in 2026. The Town Square carnival sold ride tickets, the Dixie Round-Up Rodeo is ticketed by the St. George Lions Club, and the Dixie Days Dash cost $35 (4K) or $25 (2K) for adults and $15 for kids 12 and under.
When is the Dixie Days parade?
The 92nd annual Lions Dixie Round-Up Rodeo Parade stepped off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2026, through downtown St. George, with the Dixie Days Festival and the Downtown Farmers Market at Vernon Worthen Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where do I park for Dixie Days?
Downtown St. George has public parking available near Vernon Worthen Park, Town Square, and the Dixie Sunbowl, though lots fill quickly during peak events like the Saturday parade and festival. Streets along the parade route close to traffic — plan to arrive early and expect to walk a few blocks from parking to the festival grounds.
Is there a drone show or fireworks at Dixie Days?
Dixie Days has a drone show instead of fireworks. In 2026 it followed the Monday Concert in the Park at 9 p.m., with hundreds of LED drones flown by Droneshow.com over the Red Hill at the north end of 400 East and the soundtrack on KONY Country 99.9 FM. The City recommends watching from downtown south of St. George Boulevard; Vernon Worthen Park is a good spot.
Is Dixie Days family-friendly?
Yes. The Saturday festival at Vernon Worthen Park had free tractor rides, bounce houses, a climbing wall and live music in 2026, and the Dixie Days Dash had a kids price and youth awards. The carnival, rodeo and drone show run in the evenings.
What is the history of Dixie Days?
Dixie Days celebrates the pioneer heritage of "Utah's Dixie" — the Southern Utah region settled by Mormon pioneers sent by Brigham Young in the 1860s to grow cotton, whose warm climate reminded settlers of the American South. St. George became the hub of this cotton mission, and Dixie Days honors that history through heritage walks, historic site tours, and the long-running Dixie Round-Up Rodeo tradition, alongside modern festival programming.
What food is available at Dixie Days?
Dinner on Main ran Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Main Street between the Tabernacle and St. George Boulevard. On Saturday the Downtown Farmers Market hosted the Dixie Days Festival at Vernon Worthen Park, with food vendors alongside produce and craft booths.

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