One of the purposes of the Malad Valley Welsh Festival is to preserve the culture and traditions of the Welsh pioneers who settled the Valley, beginning in the 1850s. 

The 19th Malad Valley Welsh Festival once again will feature educational and entertaining presentations by experts on Welsh history and culture.  The presentations will be at 10:00 and 11:00 on Friday. June 27, and Saturday, June 28, in the chapel of the church building next to Malad City Park. Additional presentations featuring local history will be on Sunday, June 29, at 5:00 in the church building.

Dr. Ron Dennis

Dr. Ron Dennis, will speak about the emigration of the Welsh to the American West. Having written several books about the conversion of the Welsh pioneers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1850s and 1860s, Dr. Dennis just completed his book about Dan Jones, the missionary called to Wales by Joseph Smith.  The Welsh were immediately drawn to the possibility of coming to the United States for two reasons:  1) The English had closed Welsh churches, forcing the people to worship in the Church of England. Being able to worship as they desired would be possible in America. 2) The English had taken over all farms in Wales, forcing the farmers to be tenants on what had been their own land. The Homestead Act of 1862 that allowed settlers to own 160 acres of land in the West once they had “proven up” the land for five years was very enticing to the poverty-stricken Welsh.  Dr. Dennis will introduce details about the Welsh pioneers who came to Malad Valley.

Mrs. Lucie Washburn

Mrs. Lucie Thomas Washburn will speak about this year’s Festival theme, “Castles”. Known as the “Castle Capital of the World,” Wales has more castles per square mile than any other European nation. Of the 600 castles in Wales, 100 are still standing and many can be visited. A native of Malad and now living in Cache Valley, Lucie lived in Portsmouth, England, for several years and spent her free time traveling through nearby Wales, the land of her ancestors. Her presentation will introduce many of the most famous castles of Wales, their location, history, architecture, and importance to the British Isles.

Dr. Gordon Simpson

Dr. Gordon Simpson will be the speaker at the Sunday evening Fireside, the final event of the Festival.  A retired dentist from Blackfoot and member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers, Dr. Simpson graduated from Malad High School in 1956 and will talk about what life was like growing up in Malad in the 1940s and 1950s.

Larry Thomas

As a business owner in downtown Malad, Larry Thomas has seen a lot of stores come and go.  His entertaining presentation about many of these businesses will bring back memories. His presentation will begin the Sunday evening Fireside.

All presentations are free. For additional information about the Welsh Festival and the complete schedule, see www.welshfestival.com. There will be good food, lots of craft vendors, games for kids, family history displays, wagon rides to historic sites in Malad, and something for everyone, whether or not you are Welsh!