A Land Once Known For Cotton That Is Now Becoming A Modern Downtown Destination With Farmers Markets, Galleries, And Music
Back when the Civil War began, St. George, near the Nevada border, was considered “Utah’s Dixie,” envisioned as a western “land of cotton” where pioneers could reap the economic rewards of producing an essential commodity monopolized by the Confederacy.
In 1861, Brigham Young, second president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (whose followers are also called Mormons), directed 309 families to settle in what is now the St. George area of southwestern Utah’s Washington County.
Downtown St. George, Utah has developed the feel of a charming small town though the area is one of the fastest growing in the country.
Its population has grown from 147,800 in 2013 to 151,948 in 2014 – a 2.9 percent increase, and much of this is due to the mild climate and the many nearby outdoor recreation opportunities such as Snow Canyon State Park, Sand Hollow State Park, Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, and of course, Zion National Park which is barely 45 minutes away.
But it’s also a place filled with memories that continue to balance its heritage.
“I grew up listening to my Grandma tell stories about how her and my grandpa met at the soda fountain on Main Street,” said local businesswoman, Nicki Pace. “The stories were fascinating to me as a little kid. They really stuck with me.”
In the 1980s, Pace’s father created Ancestor Square, a commercial downtown area filled with shops, cafes, and other attractions. Although Ancestor Square did not necessarily flourish at the time, Pace wanted to see a downtown resurgence.
Several years later, she and her husband, Randall, bought the Painted Pony, a high-end restaurant on the square. Pace decided to buy much of the food for the restaurant from local organic gardeners.
“We really wanted to see them succeed,” she said. “We buy as much as we can locally. And we have our own one-acre organic garden.”
In 2008, Pace decided to take her support for local farmers a step further and started a Saturday farmers market on Ancestor Square.
“It was a way to bring together local farmers, artists, chefs, bakers,” Pace continues. “It benefits our restaurants because we are able to get local, fresh food – which always tastes better.”
Pace is quick to point out that the farmers market is not a flea market or a garage sale. The items sold must be made or grown by the vendor. In addition to fresh produce, the market often sells homemade goods such as woodcarvings, bread, jams, jellies, purses, greeting cards, hats, scarves, soap, lotion, and art.
St. George is also become somewhat of an artists’ colony, with galleries scattered throughout a historic downtown that doubles as the hub of ‘Art Around the Corner,’ an outdoor exhibition of nearly five dozen permanent and rotating sculptures. The Pioneer Center for the Arts complex encompasses the St. George Art Museum, housed in what was originally a 19th-century warehouse for storing sugar-beet seeds, along with the circa-1875 St. George Social Hall & Opera House and two restored buildings that now serve as a community theater and a special-events venue.
Because of this home grown feeling in St. George as well as its year round mild temperatures, “snowbirds” flock to the area seeking to escape the harsh winter weather that can hit just a couple hundred miles east. But there is also a sense of peacefulness inherent in the surrounding area known as “red rock country” with its colorful, spectacular sandstone cliffs and canyons.
St.George, once a sleepy farming town is on the way to becoming a unique downtown, just like its cross-state sisters in Boulder, Colorado or Santa Monica, California.
Candice Reed
A graduate of Kelsey-Jenny College in Communications as well as a certified grant writer, Candice has written for The Los Angeles Times & The New York Times. She loves entertaining and all things French.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Willow Wind RV Park, where guests can enjoy all the benefits of exciting outdoor activities with the convenience of modern amenities. Surrounded by the beautiful red rocks of Southern Utah, Willow Wind is only a short drive to scenic Sand Hollow Reservoir.