Provo and Freedom Festival sign contract with new non-discrimination clause

Provo is known for its spirit of volunteerism, and the Freedom Festival is a shining example of what ordinary citizens can do when they dedicate their time and energy to a good cause. The festival shines a spotlight on America's strengths in a remarkable way, with some of that light shining worldwide as military personnel are given the option to tune in to the festivities.

I am pleased to announce that festival organizers and Provo City have agreed to incorporate non-discrimination language into their contractual relationship. This is the result of months of dialogue and cooperative effort. We believe this has been a growing process for those involved and that the result is a positive one.

As part of this process, the Freedom Festival has evaluated and refined several elements pertaining to the parade. Their effort has been to maintain a high-quality parade while ensuring best practices are followed and that both the spirit and letter of legal restrictions are followed. We thank the volunteer board members, in particular, for their dedicated service.

Thanks to everyone who has been involved in this process. Thank you to the public for your patience while we've worked at this. We look forward to many more years of celebrating freedom and patriotism here in Provo.