From Valley Fair Elves to “The Modern Dad”
Before He Was “The Modern Dad,”
The First Photo of the Valley Fair Christmas Elves
For decades, many of us remembered the magical Christmas display at Valley Fair Mall. The beloved Christmas elves who busily prepared for Santa’s arrival were a treasured part of the holiday tradition for families throughout West Valley City and the surrounding communities.
But strangely, for years no one seemed to have a photograph of them.
Those elves were firmly engraved in our memories. Families remembered visiting them each Christmas, watching their busy workshop scenes, and making it part of their holiday traditions. Yet despite all those memories, an actual photo of the display seemed impossible to find.
Then something exciting happened.
The very first photograph submitted to us was shared by Jill Dunnigan Syme. In the picture, her young brother Jason is standing in front of the elves while they are hard at work preparing for Christmas. The photo dates to about 1984, and there is little Jason proudly standing in front of the magical display.
Our Facebook history team absolutely loved that photo. Not only did it capture the elves we had all remembered, but it also preserved a small moment in time — a little boy enjoying a Christmas tradition that meant so much to our community.
But that little boy didn’t stay little.
Today, Jason Dunnigan has grown up to become someone many people know online as “The Modern Dad.” Through his website and social media, he shares everyday life skills, home tips, gadgets, motivation, and family moments with a large audience.
Jason describes himself as a dad who learned to do it all — cooking, cleaning, shopping, organizing, and taking care of the many daily tasks that keep a household running. After marrying his wife Emily and soon welcoming their first child, he embraced the role of a hands-on father and began sharing his experiences with others.
Today his platform, The Modern Dad, reaches hundreds of thousands of people. His posts often include unboxing gadgets, sharing helpful tips, dancing, lip-syncing, and enjoying everyday life with his family in Utah. His goal is simple: to show others that it’s possible to manage life’s responsibilities while still making time for family and fun.
visit him here: https://the-modern-dad.com/
And for those of us who love local history, it’s a little extra special to realize that the grown man teaching life skills to so many today was once the little boy standing in front of the Valley Fair Christmas elves.
Sometimes the smallest photos become the most meaningful pieces of history.
A collection of the original Christmas elves from Valley Fair Mall has now been purchased by our history team.
They are being carefully preserved and will soon be placed on display as part of the growing historical collection
being prepared for the future museum in West Valley City.
