Source: Ivins City Newsletter, November 2026 (Vol. 26, Issue 11), Ivins Historical Society section.
History buffs and curious kids have something new to look forward to. In the city’s November newsletter, the Ivins Historical Society announced that starting in January 2027 it will host monthly Second Saturday events “featuring stories, demonstrations, and hands-on activities that bring Ivins history to life.”
Second Saturday: what we know so far
- When: the second Saturday of each month, 10 to 11 a.m., beginning in January 2027.
- Where: the Ivins City Council Room at City Hall, 85 N. Main St.
- Who: the Society describes them as family-friendly events. It points readers to an accompanying flyer for the upcoming activities, so check with the Society for the monthly topics.
If you can’t wait until January, the Society also holds monthly meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. at Ivins City Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend, volunteer or share family history. Membership is $20 a year, and donations support projects such as historical displays and original homesite plaques.
A Thanksgiving story: turkeys in early Ivins
The same column shares a bit of local history that fits the season. According to the Society, several Ivins families, including the Ences and the Rebers, raised turkeys for years to help support their families. Milo Ence and his sons kept flocks in several places, including fields in Ivins, Three Mile, St. George Field, the Meadows and Pinto.
It was hard, uncertain work. The family histories the Society quotes describe a brooder house south of the Ence home that was first warmed by a fire kept going in a tunnel under the floor, and later by gas heaters that still needed watching through the night. Flocks were moved between fields almost at daybreak so the birds wouldn’t break away and head back. Weather was a constant worry, and the Ence family recalled losing 600 turkeys in a single storm.
Feed came from as far as Salina, Modena, Cedar City and the Hurricane Plains, and the colorful cloth feed sacks were put to use at home. The families also traded imperfect turkey eggs with McArthur Bakery for baked goods and other supplies. As the Society puts it, these memories “remind us of the hard work and resourcefulness of early Ivins residents.”
The Society also notes that November marks 100 years since the original Ivins chapel was completed in November 1926, and says it will share more about the chapel and its Christmas memories next month.
Why it matters for Ivins
Ivins is still a place where neighbors gather at City Hall to swap stories about the families who first farmed this land. Hands-on history mornings for families are one more small reason this town feels like home.
More from Ivins
- Ivins history: how the Santa Clara Bench became Ivins
- Ivins history: how Snow Canyon became a state park
- Anthony W. Ivins, the man Ivins, Utah is named after
- Veterans Day at the Southern Utah Veterans Home in Ivins
- Things to do around Ivins this week
- All articles from The OwnUtah Journal
- Living in Ivins, Utah and OwnUtah.com home
Happy Thanksgiving, and maybe I’ll see you at a Second Saturday this winter.
— Robert Bolar, REALTOR®, Summit Sotheby's International Realty
801-737-3333 · Robert@OwnUtah.com