Ribbon-cutting ceremony for new plaza in downtown Logan

Undeterred by the chilly fall morning, Logan residents donned their jackets and headed downtown on Sept. 23 for the opening of the Carol and Jim Laub Plaza.

Located at 55 N. Main St., the plaza includes a stage, a fire pit and an ice rink, as well as ample seating, which was filled as the 30-minute ceremony commenced. The plaza was filled with students, families and children, who could be seen playing with the giant chess set next to the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles stage.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening included two performances from the American Festival Chorus and some words from Mayor Holly Daines.

Daines spoke and the choir sang “This Land is Our Land” to start the ceremony.

Utah State University’s President Elizabeth Cantwell was in attendance, along with other USU representatives, city council members and military service personnel.

Following the choir performance, Jim Laub, a lifelong Logan resident and one of the plaza’s donors, gave a speech where he mentioned what it was like to grow up in Cache Valley.

“You couldn’t walk up and down Main Street without running into people, your neighbors — it just had a great sense of community,” Laub said.

Laub also recognized long-gone local businesses in his speech, such as Logan Hardware.

“That was always a special place to me,” Laub said.

After Laub’s remarks, the choir proceeded with their second performance, singing the national anthem. Then, Carol Laub cut the ribbon to lots of clapping and cheering from residents.

Live music followed the ceremony for those in the plaza to enjoy. Many of those who attended walked over to the Giant Pumpkin Festival directly after. Just a block away, pumpkins and gourds alike lined the street in a contest to see which pumpkin was the biggest.

Along with the city library, the plaza is a part of Logan’s downtown revitalization efforts. According to Daines, the plaza and the event itself had been in the works since she was first elected six years ago.

“We wanted a celebration,” Daines said. “Let the community know that they can come and enjoy it now.”