Miner’s Day 2025 schedule:
7:30-9:30 a.m. Miners Day Breakfast, City Park
8 a.m. Miners Day Bark City 5k Run,
City Park (bring your dog)
10:30 a.m. Running of the Balls, Main Street
11 a.m. Miners Day Parade, Main Street
11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Food Trucks &
Beer/Liquor Garden, City Park
11:45 a.m.-4 p.m. Live Music in the Park,
City Park Stage
noon-4 p.m. History Presentations at Miners Hospital Open House
12:30-1 p.m. Kids Games, City Park
12:30-3 p.m. Mining Competitions, City Park
Park City’s rich mining heritage takes center stage once again as the 129th annual Miners Day celebration returns over Labor Day weekend. An annual local tradition, Miners Day is much more than just a nod to the national holiday—it’s a distinctively Park City event that honors the town’s hardworking roots while bringing the community together for a full day of festivities.
Dating back to 1896, when Park City’s miners were first given a day off to celebrate their labor, Miners Union Day later merged with Labor Day in the 1940s, giving rise to today’s Miners Day celebration. Now, nearly 130 years later, the spirit of those early laborers still echoes through town each September.
Festivities kick off in the morning with a hearty community breakfast hosted by Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in City Park with the Bark City 5K, a dog-friendly run that winds through the streets, beginning at 8 am.
One of the day’s main attractions is the playful Running of the Balls—a local twist on Spain’s famous Running of the Bulls. Instead of bulls, nearly 20,000 colored golf balls are released to race down Main Street, cheered on by crowds lining the sidewalks. Each ball, purchased as part of a fundraiser, helps support Park City Rotary Club’s Community Grants and Scholarship programs, which provide thousands in funding to local nonprofits and students.
The festive energy continues with the Miners Day Parade, winding down Main Street and along Park Avenue, culminating at City Park. There, the celebration shifts into high gear with live concerts presented by Mountain Town Music, a beer garden, sack races for kids, and a collection of food trucks offering tasty local fare. Book lovers can browse the Friends of the Park City Library’s annual Miners Day book sale at the library, with proceeds benefiting library programs.
A highlight each year is the mucking and drilling competitions—essential mining tasks that are both loud and dusty but offer an authentic glimpse into the labor that built Park City. With a $1,000 prize up for grabs, competitors demonstrate their skill at carving holes in rock and hauling muck under the hot midday sun.
Organizers recommend planning ahead for the day. Purchase golf balls to participate in Running of the Balls early at parkcityminersday.org, arrive early for the best parade and race viewing spots, and prepare for unpredictable mountain weather.
Whether you’re a longtime local or first-time visitor, Miners Day offers a lively, heartfelt tribute to the laborers who shaped Park City’s past—and a festive way to celebrate its colorful present.
