"When I moved to Pleasant Grove, I said, 'Do we have anything to celebrate Leif Erikson Day?'" Kasey F. Jackson asked. That was in 2021, and Viking Day began with that question. His reasoning was local. "You are the Vikings," he told the Daily Herald, adding that one part of town was once called Little Denmark because so many Danish families settled there. As the Daily Herald reported that October, city history puts Scandinavians at one-third of the town's population in the early 1900s. Little Denmark was a neighborhood of artisans and farmers from the region.
Five years later, Viking Day opens a seven-week season that ends with a tree lighting. Nearly every big public night in that stretch happens at Downtown Park, 200 S. Main Street.
A Heritage Date That Became a Full Saturday
The October date was chosen on purpose. City council member Cyd LeMone told the Herald that Oct. 9 made sense because it is nationally recognized as Leif Erikson Day. The goal was to honor the Scandinavian immigrants who helped build the city. The first Viking Day ran from 1 to 5 p.m. at Downtown Park, and organizers said they hoped it would become an annual tradition.
It did, and it has grown. This year it falls on Saturday, Oct. 10. The Run Like a Viking 5K and Kids 1/2 Mile start at 8 a.m., and the festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. That's a nine-hour day where the first event fit in four hours. The city's special events page lists local vendors, strongman competitions, food trucks and live music. The festival is free.
The strongman part goes back to the beginning. The 2021 Viking Power Challenge included Husafell-style stone carries, stone-to-chest lifting, farmer's carries, boulder throwing and stick pulling. Jackson said anyone could step up and try the stones. That first year also had a beard contest judged by a local salon. The city hasn't released a detailed 2026 competition lineup, so those details describe how the event started, not this year's program.
The Calendar Keeps Coming Back to 200 S. Main
Lay the fall out by date and the pattern is clear. The three biggest public evenings all happen at the same park. The library calendar fills in around them.
- Sat., Oct. 10: Run Like a Viking 5K at 8 a.m., then Viking Day Festival at Downtown Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Thu.–Sat., Oct. 22–24: Fall clean-up dumpsters at the Old Pipe Plant, 350 W. 400 N., 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Mon., Oct. 26: Spanish Family Night: Día de los Muertos at the library, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Thu., Oct. 29: Boo Bash at Downtown Park, 5 to 7 p.m., followed by the Utah County Flute Choir's Halloween concert at 7:30 p.m.
- Sat., Oct. 31: Free family showing of The Addams Family at the library, 10:30 a.m.
- Wed., Nov. 11: Remembering Our Veterans at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, 724 N. 600 W., 11 a.m.
- Mon., Nov. 30: Christmas in the Grove at Downtown Park, 6 to 8 p.m.
Downtown Park hosts the season's opening, its Halloween night and its close. Each of those events is free.
Boo Bash Is Haunt on Main Under a New Name
The city's listing calls this year's Halloween event "Boo Bash (formerly Haunt on Main)" and doesn't explain the change. The location is the same. The 2025 Haunt on Main listing from PG Cares already put the event at Downtown Park, 200 S. Main Street. So the old name pointed at the historic downtown, not at a route along the street.
Last year's version had trick-or-treating with Lindon and Pleasant Grove businesses, a PG Arts Commission variety show, family activities, and cider and hot chocolate. For 2026, the city lists free trick-or-treating with local businesses and city departments. A sensory-friendly silent hour opens the evening.
Event listings disagree on the end time. The city's page says 5 to 7 p.m., and a regional tourism listing says 5 to 8 p.m. The city runs the event, so plan around 7 p.m. That matters on Oct. 29, because the Utah County Flute Choir's Halloween concert is on the city calendar from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. the same night. Boo Bash falls on the Thursday before Halloween. That leaves Saturday, Oct. 31, open for neighborhood plans.
The Library Carries the Weeknights
The park gets the big crowds, and the library fills most of the gaps between them. Two of its October nights have already passed: a spooky Family Night at the Library on Oct. 5 and a Haunted Library Carnival for teens in grades 7 through 12 on Oct. 9.
Two are still ahead. On Monday, Oct. 26, Spanish Family Night: Día de los Muertos offers traditional Mexican activities from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. On Halloween morning, the library shows The Addams Family for free at 10:30 a.m. That gets families done well before trick-or-treating starts. The full list is on the library's family events page.
Clean-Up Days and the Battle Creek Lot
The city handles practical things this fall too. Fall clean-up runs Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 22–24. Dumpsters will be at the Old Pipe Plant, 350 W. 400 N., from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, and you'll need ID showing you're a resident. That weekend lands right before Boo Bash and Halloween, which makes it the last city-run chance to clear out yard waste and garage clutter before the holiday season.
For a fall hike, the bigger change is at the Battle Creek trailhead. A city project update dated June 25, 2026, says the parking improvements are fully open, with only minor punch-list items left. The plan called for a lower paved lot with 85 stalls and an upper gravel lot for horse trailers, both enclosed with boulders and wood fencing. The city lists Battle Creek access at 1700 East 200 South. The Forest Service's Battle Creek page advises bear awareness and warns of exposed, narrow trail above and below the falls.
Most of the season's events are evening events, and the trailhead lot is a daytime trip. A morning hike up Battle Creek on Oct. 10 still leaves time for the 10 a.m. start of Viking Day across town.
Valley Grove, on the Other End of Pleasant Grove Blvd.
The downtown calendar hasn't changed much, but the west side has new places to eat. Valley Grove, along West Pleasant Grove Boulevard, added several food and retail tenants this year. Chicken Salad Chick opened its first Utah location at 2093 W. Pleasant Grove Blvd., with a grand opening on June 9, as ABC4 reported. Stella's Ice Cream had opened next door at 2067 W. Pleasant Grove Blvd. by the time of the developer's June update.
Other places are announced but don't have opening dates. The developer's June release lists a LongHorn Steakhouse planned at North County Boulevard and Mountain View Lane and a quickgreens restaurant at 1051 S. Valley Grove Way. Until those open, Chicken Salad Chick and Stella's are the confirmed new stops on the west end of town.
The Season Closes Where It Opened
Christmas in the Grove brings the season back to Downtown Park on Monday, Nov. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. The city lists a tree lighting, free hot chocolate and donuts, a light parade and a chance to meet Santa. Before that, on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m., the Remembering Our Veterans service takes place at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, 724 N. 600 W. From the 8 a.m. Viking 5K on Oct. 10 to the tree lighting on Nov. 30, the season's three biggest gatherings all happen at 200 S. Main Street.
If this fall has you weighing a move within Pleasant Grove, whether closer to the downtown calendar, out toward Valley Grove, or up near the Battle Creek trailhead, Foundry Group can show you how those parts of the city compare. Schedule a consultation today.
