See photos of the Days of ′47 Cattle Drive in Salt Lake City

It’s not everyday that you see cattle trotting through the paved streets of Utah’s capital city, but onlookers witnessed just that on Thursday.

The Days of ′47 Rodeo officially begins on Friday, July 19, and to help kick off the celebrations, Utahns gathered in downtown Salt Lake City to watch the cattle drive work its way through the some of the city’s central streets. The rodeo coincides with pioneer week in Utah, with events celebrating Utah’s pioneer heritage and founding taking place during the days leading up to Pioneer Day on Wednesday, July 24.

The cattle drive was led by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and first lady Abby Cox, along with Days of ′47 Rodeo organizers, with a herd of Texas longhorn cattle following behind them.

“Abby and I grew up on farms in rural Utah, so joining Days of ‘47 to push cattle in downtown Salt Lake City feels like a small piece of home. Less than a week until Pioneer Day!” Cox wrote in a post on X. Cox is expected to attend the Days of ′47 Rodeo on its opening day, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

“We need more community. We need excuses to come together and — of course — celebrate our state’s pioneer heritage,” Cox said, KSL reported. “This July 24 is a great opportunity to bring people together. ... This is the kind of stuff that heals us as a country and I think it’s really important.”