07/29/2026
New Sandy Mountain Festival Brings Entertainment, Sandy Mountain Festival Members Influential to Its Success
By Abby Haney
The annual four day event of Sandy Mountain Festival has concluded for the 2026 year but at the Sandy Historical Society Museum, the festival continues with their new exhibit. Showcasing the beginning of the festival and its existence over the decades, the Sandy Mountain Festival exhibit highlights artifacts from numerous people who have been influential in it, from the beginning to now.
The Sandy Mountain Festival began with four people, John Armstrong, Florence Schmitz, and Blushing Zebra (an arts and craft store) owners Lynn Ellis and Ann Fenwick. Armstrong also began the exhibit at the museum.
“The Sandy Mountain Festival is a huge part of Sandy's culture and identity. When John Armstrong contacted us with his artifacts and his documents, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to highlight an important part of Sandy's history,” Sandy Historical Society Museum Director Nicole O’Neill said.
The festival is an event prepared for months before opening day and draws in thousands of people from in and out of Sandy. The museum wanted to share this work and love of it.
“The festival is over 50 years old now, and it is important to collect the memories of the festival's founders and organizers. John Armstrong, the Montgomeries, everyone has been very generous with their time and their memories and mementos,” O’Neill said.
While the exhibit is focusing on the history of the festival and its pathway through time, it also is highlighting the feeling from it: the excitement and fun.
“My intention with the exhibit was to capture the fun that comes with the Sandy Mountain Festival,” O’Neill said.
Sandy Mountain Festival gear is notable and reoccurring in t-shirts but buttons used to coincide with them. Since the beginning, a yearly button was made but in the 2010s, this faded. At the museum, a wide array of buttons are available for viewing. Even more so, visitors can make their own button!
“I wanted the exhibit to have a hands-on element, an activity for visitors to do to connect with the festival. And the Sandy Mountain Festival buttons are so fun and unique!”O’Neill said.
The exhibit includes numerous artifacts which show the changing of the festival (seen through the t-shirts) but some also highlight the past that is no longer. Within the exhibit is a vest which on the back says “Royal Order of the Bear.” The Royal Order of the Bear was an honor given to men and they were even awarded a special name (for example, honey bear). This was a similar honor to the Queens Court and stopped simultaneously with the court. While the court returned this year, the Royal Order of the Bear didn’t. Shannon and Martin Montgomery donated this item. Shannon is the daughter of founder Lynn Ellis and was the 2026 SMF Queen.
Dale Varnes, one of the first festival artwork creators, painted a piece featuring the festival logo, the dancing bear and pioneer. Sandy Mountain Festival founder John Armstrong commissioned the painting. Located upstairs, the painting is still in peak condition and signed by Varnes. This artwork was donated by the Montogomery’s as well.
Clothing apparel is sold at the festival but before, other items were among the options. Some of these include suspenders, a belt buckle, and a penny bank in the shape of a bear. Each of these include the wording and logo of the festival brand. All these items are now limited as they are no longer sold and made during the festival. Numerous people, including the Montgomerys and Armstrong, donated these items.
The new exhibit at the museum is bringing the fun from the festival past July while offering a learning opportunity about the festival beginnings. Stop in the museum to color, make a button, and learn about the rich history of the Sandy Mountain Festival.
Abby Haney was the Editor-In-Chief at Sandy High School for the Pioneer Press and is a writer at large for The Sandy Historical Society and The Sandy Standard.
