Things to do / Travel Guide
Northern Utah's events calendar consists of an incredible mix of first-rate events! The region's yearly roster includes Japanese Taiko drumming, Bavarian bratwurst, rowdy, rough-riding rodeos, hot air balloon rides, a boisterous buffalo round up, a classical Indian music festival, one of the world's preeminent and best-known film festivals - and that's just the beginning!
January
Cinephiles would be remiss to miss one of the largest and greatest film festivals in the U.S., held annually in northern Utah. Largely the brainchild of Robert Redford (who collaborated with local Utahn arts folk), the Sundance Film Festival in Park City has become one of the most highly-regarded film festivals not only in the United States, but also in the world. Featuring international and domestic films from big name Hollywood directors and producers to little-known artsy independent filmmakers, every year the Sundance Festival draws over 20,000 of the nation's most well known film-industry professionals, actors, and film fanatics. But for the number of high-profile attendees, the festival is decidedly low-key and laid back. Very few of the events are black tie affairs, and the event feels a little like Hollywood-meets-rustic; celebrities try to blend in with the public and the public mixes with filmmakers and the bigwigs of the filmmaking industry.
Started in 1981, Robert Redford's Sundance Institute was formed with the mission of fostering artistic inspiration and creative risk-taking and a providing a forum in which independent artists could exhibit their new works. Today, the Sundance Institute and its world-renowned Film Festival, considered the premier U.S. film event for American and international independent filmmakers, claim the attention of top-notch artists from around the globe.
Held over 10 days in January, the Sundance Film Festival shows premier films (and gives out a variety of awards) in many different program and competition categories including an Independent Film Competition (for both dramas and documentaries). Alumni of the Sundance Film Festival in this category include Reservoir Dogs, Memento, and Hoop Dreams. The Sundance Film Festival also features a World Cinema Competition, featuring the world's best dramatic and documentary films, the likes of which have included Run Lola Run (Germany), The Full Monty (UK), Bend it Like Beckham (UK), and Shape of the Moon (Indonesia).
Attending the Sundance Festival requires a little bit of planning. If you wish to attend more than just a couple of films, you may want to consider purchasing a multi-ticket package. And a festival pass will allow you to gain general access to many screenings, discussions, and exclusive award ceremonies and events without picking and choosing beforehand - you just show up 15 minutes before the event and walk in. A range of passes is available, running from about $300 to $3,000. Packages and passes are sold on the Sundance Festival website usually starting around mid-September. Of course you can also just buy an individual ticket for a screening or panel discussion. Most films are followed by a discussion with the director or cast members (included in the film price). It pays to buy tickets or passes as far in advance as possible, as they usually sell out quickly.
February
Sled dog races, moonlight snowshoeing, live music, powdery snow, and pyrotechnic partying are in your stars if you schedule your trip around the 10-day Winterfest in Park City. Held at the beginning of February, Winterfest is an annual anniversary celebration of the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The festival includes many snow-related events, including ski races and snow-sculpture-building competitions, as well as frequent fireworks and concerts.
March
Fishing, camping, hunting, boating, and offroading experts and manufacturers pour into Sandy's South Towne Exposition Center for the four-day International Sportsmen's Exposition held in mid-March. Over 250,000 square feet fill with more than 500 outdoors-related events and exhibits, including fishing and fly fishing shows, demonstrations on the best ways to track and record elk, as well as camping and travel shows with explanations about new, cutting-edge outdoor gear and clothing. Stick around for the International Dutch Oven Society World Championship Cook-Off and to hear the winners of the duck- and elk-calling contests.
April
Skiers and snowboarders bedecked in crazy and colorful costumes speed down a hill, trying to gain enough velocity to clear a 100-foot pond filled with icy water. This is the gist of the 180 Energy Drink Pond Skimming Contest and Reggae Fest held every year at The Canyons Resort (near Park City). Costumed (and street-clothing clad) spectators stand by to hear the judges' choices for Best Costume, Best Splash, and Best Crash. Contestants are required to wear costumes, and spectators are encouraged to do so, too. The daylong event also features live reggae music bands and is usually held at the beginning of the month.
May
An unlikely spot for one the country's best classical, Carnatic-style Indian music, Salt Lake City hosts the yearly Thyagaraja Music Festival, featuring up-and-coming as well as world-class professional musicians. The event provides a great opportunity to experience this music style, which is primarily vocal in nature, one of the world's oldest and richest musical traditions. The week-long, mid-May festival attracts travelers from all over the country, who show up to enjoy the authentic Indian food and a wide range of cultural events.
Relive that momentous 1869 occasion when the Central Pacific Railroad joined the Union Pacific Railroad and the East Coast became inextricably linked to the West. At the Golden Spike reenactment held every May 10th in Promontory. Local dignitaries dressed in period costume recreate the drama with a flourish.
Are you a fan of the feathered and flight-bound? Don't miss the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival held in Farmington over five days in mid-May. While you may not see birds of paradise, you will see a bird paradise, as literally millions of birds make a pit stop on Great Salt Lake during their seasonal migrations. Attend lectures from experts in the field and choose from more than 50 bird watching field trips and excursions to partake in.
June
Not just limited to sculptors and painters, the Utah Arts Festival defines the arts liberally. Live street-theater performances, visual artists' displays, culinary artists' feasts, literary artists' readings, film showings, and music performances comprise a weekend of festivities held toward the end of the month in Salt Lake City's Liberty Square.
July
If you're up for a weekend of rough ridin' and wranglin', don't miss Ogden's Pioneer Days held in Ogden Pioneer Stadium. For nearly three quarters of a century, Utah's toughest types have been showcasing their talents, a Miss Rodeo queen has been crowned, and children aged 4-8 have been riding out of the bucking chutes and into the arena on the back of baby sheep.
August
Considered one of the best fairs in Utah, the Davis County Fair in Farmington has been an annual tradition for almost a century and a half. The fair runs for four days in mid-August and features rabbit and poultry judging, calf roping, pie- and watermelon-eating contests, live music, and a rowdy and raucous rodeo.
The sky bursts and blooms with color at the yearly Ogden Valley Balloon Festival held in Eden. Hitch a ride with one of the balloonists taking off at dawn or float above the sun as it bids the day farewell, sinking behind Ben Lomond Peak and the North Ogden Divide. The festival also features live music and artist booths.
September
Enjoy teriyaki and Taiko dance-drumming, ikebana flower arranging, origami exhibits, sushi, and a silent auction at the Japanese Fall Festival, also known as Aki Matsuri, held on West 100 South in Salt Lake City on a Saturday in mid-September.
Yodelers and German bands steal the show at Oktoberfest Halle, where a broad buffet of Bavarian flavors, bratwurst, and apfelstrudel, beckon the belly. Der Marktplatz craft show calls out to the shoppers, and Kinderland will catch your kids' attention. Snowbird Resort's Oktoberfest began more than three decades ago - when the beauty of northern Utah's mountains and the Little Cottonwood Canyon reminded two German-born visitors of their beloved Alps, they donned lederhosen, broke out the accordion, and began singing. Today, more than 70,000 people attend Snowbird's Oktoberfest, one of largest festivals in Utah, which runs for six weeks from the end of August until the first week in October. Admission to the festival is free.
October
During the last weekend of October, more than 250 horseback-, four-wheel-drive (4WD)- and helicopter-riding park officials head to Antelope Island State Park for the Buffalo Round-up to herd the big (and not always docile) American bison to the north end of the island for counting. While buffalo ranchers on horseback and in cars push and prod the bison toward the handling facilities at the north end of the island, helicopters hover overhead on-hand for assistance. Take part in this real-live Western ranching drama by watching the bison and the buffalo ranching techniques from a safe distance at Buffalo Point.
You can fill your belly with fall treats at the Cornbelly's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest, held yearly at Thanksgiving Point in the town of Lehi. Featuring Utah's original corn maze as well a freaky walk through the Cornuphobia haunted corn maze, this fall and Halloween festival is full of tricks and treats for the entire family. Children can pick their own pumpkins, enjoy a spooky hay ride and whimsical events like a pig race or a chicken singing contest. Cornbelly's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest is held Monday-Saturday from the end of September through October 31st.
November
Weave the Navajo Rug Show and Sale into your itinerary. Running for almost 20 years, the event showcases the handiwork of Navajo Elders. More than 500 rugs are hung and displayed, accompanied by songs and prayers. These rugs are more than just masterpieces - they are small symbols of the lives and souls who created them. The event is held over a weekend in mid-November at the Snow Park Lodge in Deer Valley.
December
Don't waste one minute of the shortest day of the year. Every December 21st, Salt Lake City's Red Butte Gardens holds a Winter Solstice Festival featuring nature walks, dance performers, storytelling, Celtic music, and celestial appreciation in the form of star and sun gazing.
December is a month-long sparkling, singing holiday celebration at Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City. Trees and shrubs surrounding the square are alight with literally hundreds of thousands of bulbs; a life-size Nativity scene adorns the plaza, and every night features a holiday performance from local and regional musical groups.
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