CITY GUIDE 2026

22NDANNUAL CELEBRATION OF ALL THINGS

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CITY WEEKLY’S 22ND ANNUAL GUIDE

CITY ’26 GUIDE

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John Saltas

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WELCOME

A PROGRESS REPORT

As someone who was born and raised in Salt Lake City, I have a great love for our county. I’ve spent endless hours on our trails and in our mountains, as well as attending local arts and film festivals. And when my dad, Ted Wilson (19392024), was mayor of Salt Lake City, my experiences in our valley expanded to include governance and local politics.

Community and connections were key to my upbringing. To this day, engaging with people from all walks of life is something I value deeply. The fabric of our valley is woven with stories of pioneers, immigrants, and champions of change. We are a county with a rich history of female trailblazers.

I am both impressed and inspired by our numerous female leaders and by traits that regularly define our community: our welcoming way, our resilience in the face of challenges, and our unique ability to find common ground among diverse backgrounds and beliefs. While others shy away from meeting in the middle, we embrace it wholly. We are a county of and for the people.

As a long-time public servant, I’ve advanced policies and initiatives that improve quality of life, strengthen communities, enhance public safety, promote cleaner air and a healthier environment, and prioritize conservation and preservation of our canyons, open space, and water.

Recognizing the value of the Jordan River, and the reality that failing to care for it could be detrimental, I led the charge for the establishment of the Jordan River Commission. As growing interest in the “Greatest Snow on Earth” increased canyon traffic, I stood firm against the gondola and pushed for common-sense solutions. Wanting to remove financial barriers for families while simultaneously increasing access to recreation, I launched the My County Rec Pass, which offers free access to Salt Lake County recreation centers for youth, ages 0–18.

Keeping Salt Lake County an inviting, healthy, and safe place to live and visit is a priority for me. Working collaboratively with state, city, private, and nonprofit partners, my team and I launched a comprehensive plan to tackle behavioral health challenges,

homelessness, and criminal justice reform. Building upon this plan and existing best practices, Salt Lake County is now consulting with the Leifman Group to implement evidence-based recommendations intended to both enhance public safety countywide and improve long-term outcomes for individuals.

The announcement of the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and the addition of a national hockey league in our capital city, put us in a unique position to revitalize downtown and the Salt Palace Convention Center. With connectivity and placemaking in mind, I navigated the single biggest development ever managed by Salt Lake County.

A renovated, modernized Salt Palace benefits residents and businesses, as well as enhances our ability to provide amazing experiences and increases tourism revenues. Those revenues are reinvested in our community and our public spaces.

Salt Lake County is more than a place—it’s a shared experience with something great to discover on every corner. Here’s to getting out, savoring it, and making it yours!

—Mayor Jenny Wilson, Salt Lake County

“Salt Lake has always been a multicultural, multiethnic, and multiracial community.”

SALT LAKE CITY, REDEFINED

The history of Salt Lake City is filled with examples of diverse people working for a better future.

BY JOHN S. MCCORMICK

The history of Salt Lake City is complex and compelling, rich and textured, multi-layered and multi-faceted—the account of many different people, groups, voices, experiences, points of view, values, traditions and ways of life . . . and of their complex interplay.

There has been much in this city’s history to uphold the authority of a white, heterosexual, middle-class, able-bodied and patriarchal social order, and there has been much to challenge it and advance other visions. Various groups have experienced the city in different ways; in a sense, each has inhabited a different city.

Salt Lake has always been a multicultural, multiethnic, and multiracial community—this may be the most significant aspect of the city’s history. Its residents have routinely been, in sociologist Richard Sennett’s phrase, “people in the presence of others.” And the context of those encounters has been uneven distributions of advantages and disadvantages, privileges and marginalizations, power and relative lack of power.

The predominant position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been clear, as has the continued division between Mormons and non-Mormons. But Salt Lake City has contained more than just this single dynamic. Rich and poor, black and white, male and female, disabled and abled, heterosexual and homosexual; native-born and immigrant have all experienced the city differently.

Thus, for example, Salt Lake has been historically safer for men than for women, for white than for Black or Hispanic, for straight than for gay, lesbian, or transgendered. The interests of some groups have clearly been advanced and those of others slowed or subverted; particular groups have been defined as “inside” and others as “outside” the community.

For many people, James Baldwin’s comment as he surveyed his own New York City in 1963 also echoes across the streets of Salt Lake: “You know—you know instinctively—that none of this is for you. You know be-

fore you are told. And who is it for and who is paying for it? And why isn’t it for you?”

At the same time, Salt Lake has seen many examples of the human ability to construct meanings of self and of social relations, a city wherein various groups have sought to make a position for themselves and resist the ways that others have viewed them and the stations to which others have sought to confine them. This has been true throughout this area’s history and it continues to be the case.

What follows are only a few examples.

Civil Rights Activism

Salt Lake was very much a part of the activism taking place throughout the United States in the 1960s, both reflecting national trends and actively participating in it. Underlying much of this activity was the belief that “the personal is the political”—the conviction that personal problems were not just personal problems. They were problems that millions of people throughout the country shared, and because so many people faced them, their causes were not attributable to inadequacy, nor their solutions individually sought.

During those days, the Salt Lake City branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) gathered information about housing discrimination in the city, often using a technique called the “sandwich,” where a Black couple would try to rent an apartment or house, and if they were turned down, a white couple would be sent to see if they could rent the same place. The NAACP lobbied the Utah Legislature to pass the state’s first civil rights laws, including a Public Accommodation Act in 1965, and legislation to repeal the prohibition of marriage between whites and Blacks or Asians.

It was during this same period of time that Salt Lake’s Hispanic community grew increasingly active. Organizations such as El Centro Civico Mexicano sponsored social and cultural activities for the Mexican

community. The GI Forum was active in fighting discrimination and related problems. In 1967, Father Jerald Merrill (1924-2005) and a group of young Hispanics and Mexicanos, who preferred to be called “Chicano,” founded the Spanish Speaking Organization for Community, Integrity, and Opportunity (SOCIO) to provide a voice for Hispanics and create a vehicle to address their individual and community needs.

SOCIO formed the Utah Migrant Council, lobbied for a Chicano Studies Program at the University of Utah, and argued for the creation of an Hispanic Ombudsman position for the state.

Other Examples

In 1979, KRCL, a listener-supported, not-for-profit radio station, began broadcasting. The idea for it came out of the experience of the anti-Vietnam War movement in Salt Lake during the 1960s and 1970s, whose members found it difficult to get media coverage of their views and for alternative views in general to get disseminated. According to its mission statement, the station’s goal was to provide a voice for individuals and groups whose access to the media had traditionally been limited, including racial and ethnic minorities, women, gays and lesbians, the disabled as well as the working class and low-income people; and to present a diverse range of cultural and musical programming in an effort to expose listeners to alternative lifestyles and points of view.

Threatened with a lawsuit in 1987, the private Alta Club admitted women to membership for the first time since its 1883 founding. Though women had been allowed as guests of members, they were required to enter through a specially designated “Woman’s Entrance.”

In the 1980s, the Disabled Action Committee staged a sleep-in at the Governor’s office to protest his lack of support for their concerns, and they organized a number of civil disobedience actions, including ”crawl-ins” to protest the absence of lifts on Utah Transit Authority buses.

Continued on page 14

FRANK GLEESON

“The definitions we use in the future will have to ... take into account the diverse society that Utah is, always has been, and will continue to be.”

Continued from page 12

During the 1994 legislative session, members of Justice, Economic Dignity, and Independence for Women (J.E.D.I. Women)—an activist organization of lowincome Utahns whose goal was to improve the lives of women and include them in public policy debates over issues that impacted their lives—staged a sit-in at the Governor’s office until he agreed to meet with them. According to one member, during the 15-minute meeting, he lectured the group on what constituted proper behavior. “The perception is that you shouldn’t rock the boat,” she reported. “It’s not ladylike.”

The next year, J.E.D.I. Women held a three-day “camp out” on the Capitol Building grounds, upon which 30 families pitched tents to call attention to the lack of affordable housing in the city and state.

That same year, a Salt Lake branch of the national organization Food Not Bombs was formed and began serving free hot vegetarian meals to homeless men, women, and children at various locations in the downtown area. The group advocated for what it called a “nonviolent and egalitarian society that knows neither rich nor poor.” Its motto was “Dice the onions, crush the garlic, and smash the state.”

On a cold day in February 1999, a group of demonstrators gathered on Salt Lake City’s Main Street in front of the ZCMI department store to protest its sale of fur coats. Members of the Utah affiliate of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) carried black cardboard coffins to the store’s front doors, stripped to their black underwear, lay down in the coffins, covered themselves with flowers, and displayed a banner that read, “Don’t be caught dead in fur.”

Later that same year on October 23, a “Police-State” protest was held on the grounds of the Salt Lake City and County Building. In publicizing the event its organizers said, “Let your voices be heard. … If you belong to a persecuted minority, you need to be at this rally. If we

do not stand up for the rights of others who are different from ourselves, no one will stand up for us! Until we do, we are not freedom fighters but privilege seekers.”

LGBT Rights

Since the late 1960s, Utah’s LGBT rights movement became increasingly active as more and more people expressed their sexual orientation with an openness that had been discouraged and/or denied in previous generations. They marched, rallied and lobbied state and city officials for the passage of laws forbidding discrimination against them; began holding annual public events, including National Coming Out Day and the Utah Pride Festival; and established many groups to provide support and a sense of community.

The goal has been to call attention to LGBT groups and individuals as well as the discrimination they encounter and to make the case that they are an important part of Salt Lake City’s population. And they have met with considerable success. Same-sex marriage has been legal since the state’s ban was ruled unconstitutional by federal courts in 2014.

Statewide anti-discrimination laws now cover sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and in housing, and the use of conversion therapy on minors is prohibited, though all such gains continue to be targeted by their opponents. Much remains to be done, particularly with regard to transgender rights.

“We just ask that you respect us as human beings,” transgender Utahn Kree Arias reminded elected officials during this year’s legislative session. “We deserve the same rights as everybody else.”

New Images, New Day

What of the future? Perhaps the central questions Salt Lake City’s history raises are, “To whom does the city belong? Whose city is it? Who has the right to find

their histories here? Who has the right to appropriate space and participate in decision making?” They are the fundamental questions the city has always faced, and they remain the crucial questions facing it now. The earlier definitions, prevailing for so long, are inadequate—new ones are necessary.

The definitions we use in the future will have to include more expansive images, ones that will more accurately take into account the diverse society that Utah is, always has been, and will continue to be.

These redefined images will have to resist—rather than uphold—monolithic, one-dimensional, stereotypical representations, and must provide for greater understanding of the society to which we belong, the history of the people and traditions with which we interact, and the meaning of the ideas and experiences we encounter.

At a humanities conference held in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1996, five panelists discussed the lives of women in the western United States. Three were white females, including a Latter-day Saint and a Catholic, a fourth was a Native American of Klamath and Shoshoni ancestry, and the fifth a Japanese Buddhist.

Many in the audience were surprised to discover that the person whose Utah roots went back the furthest—as well as being the only native-born Utahn— was the Japanese woman.

I envision a future where our view of the past does not lead us to be surprised by that fact, nor to deny its implications. CW

John McCormick is an educator, historian, and former Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Salt Lake Community College. His previous works include A History of Utah Radicalism (with John R. Sillito), The Gathering Place: An Illustrated History of Salt Lake City, and The Historic Buildings of Downtown Salt Lake City.

Liz Pitts

TRANSGENDER RIGHTS

How did the latest legislative session change life in Utah?

BY GRACE X. MAYA

The 2026 legislative session passed two more anti-trans bills. Rep. David Shallenberger, ROrem, amended the Utah Fair Housing Act to allow discrimination on the basis of biological sex, empowering landlords to discriminate against transgender individuals in single-sex housing via HB404 The bill enhances last year’s anti-trans dormitory bills to allow private landlords to designate units as “all female” based on biological sex. They would be able to terminate leases for individuals found to be transgender within the gender-exclusive units. The law appears in violation of the Federal Fair Housing Act, although legal challenges have yet to be announced. HB174 prohibits hormone therapy and puberty blockers for transgender youths. The change will go into effect on January 28, 2027 and affect any minors not diagnosed with gender dysphoria prior to January 28, 2023. While minors over the age of 16 will be allowed to continue hormone therapy, younger trans-

gender youths will be forced to cease treatment over the next year.

“Mental health providers’ job is to help people adjust to reality, not avoid it,” said sponsor Rep. Rex Shipp, R-Cedar City. “Instead of encouraging young people to reject their bodies, we need to help them reconcile distressed emotional feelings.”

The law will not affect minors on hormone therapy

due to unrelated health issues such as precocious puberty or endometriosis. Hormone therapy is still legal for menopausal women under HCR 10.

Liz Pitts (she/they) serves as the president and CEO of the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. The organization represents roughly 300 LGBTQ+ and allied businesses across the state, including health organizations such as UAF Legacy Health, which provides HIV support and STI testing alongside hormone therapy. Pitts feared the economic ramifications of both bills.

“The passage of these kinds of bills advances Utah’s reputation as a hate state,” Pitts said. “As a hate-state, corporations are choosing not to relocate here and create jobs in our state. It’s not bringing new people to spend money, or to rent and buy homes. The general economic impact is real.”

There are legal ramifications as well, particularly surrounding HB 404.

“We’re going to have landlords who may not understand they’re breaking federal law because the Utah state legislature said it’s okay to do so,” Pitts said. “They’re exposing themselves to liability lawsuits. Not only will the legislature and state potentially have to spend quite a bit of money defending this illegal action, but the landlords, the business owners themselves may be at risk.”

Similar anti-trans bills, such a bathroom bill passed in North Carolina in 2017, have cost states billions of lost corporate relocation and tourist dollars.

“There are people actively leaving our state. Individuals who do not identify as LGBTQ, but their children do,” Pitts said. “They are making decisions based on the health and safety of their family members.” CW

COURTESY PHOTO

DID YOU KNOW?

Peace Days in May

In support of international movements for world disarmament in 1899, Utah women worked to advance a yearly “Peace Day” observation at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. Through the sponsorship of the LDS church’s adult and young women organizations and in collaboration with such groups as the Ladies’ Literary Club, the Utah Women’s Press Club and the Council of Jewish Women, yearly peace demonstrations were held throughout the state until WWI. In a similar vein generations later, an anti-war demonstration took place in Salt Lake City on May 15, 1971, led by active-duty GIs, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, the Utah Council of Churches, La Raza, Gay Liberation, Mothers for Peace and others. Then-governor Cal Rampton declared that day another “Utah Peace Day.”

WHAT DOES SALT LAKE CITY MEAN TO ME?

“It means both history and future—a history of settlers and growth over 150+ years, plus a future we’re all fighting to preserve every day.”

—Andy Cupp, Rose Park

STATE OF THE ART

A crash course introduction to the arts scene in Salt Lake City.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW

It’s hard to overstate the vitality of the Utah arts community, at almost every level. This is a place where the theater, dance, museums and other arts organizations flourish, and where residents of Salt Lake County have renewed a Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP) sales tax four times over the course of 30 years, by a margin of more than 3-to-1. The result is a magnificent range of options for those who want to experience culture in all its forms.

Classical Music / Opera

At the center of the classical music/opera community is Utah Symphony & Opera (usuo.org), the umbrella organization that oversees both the Utah Symphony and the Utah Opera. The former presents a full season of events at Abravanel Hall including masterworks concerts, pops presentations, live performances of film scores to screenings, special programming for children and families and more; the latter typically offers four full productions representing the operatic canon

Utah Symphony’s live accompaniment to Jurassic Park

as well as contemporary works. There’s also room for smaller organizations to thrive, including Utopia Early Music (utopiaearlymusic.org) with its concerts of baroque, medieval and other early music; and Salt Lake Symphony (saltlakesymphony.org), playing the classics at the University of Utah’s Libby Gardner Hall. SLC is also home to the renowned Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation (bachauer.com) and its annual piano competition.

Dance

Nationally-recognized dance programs at both the University of Utah and Brigham Young University have nurtured a lot of home-grown talent in the field of dance, which is only part of why the local dance scene is so remarkable. Ballet West (balletwest.org) launched more than 60 years ago as the only professional ballet company between Chicago and the West Coast, and has built an amazing history including its

Continued on page 22

Have you visited all of these excellent art hotspots around the Salt Lake Valley? Make a point to do so this year and check off the boxes as you go!

Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple, SLC, saltlakecountyarts.org)

Alliance Theater at Trolley Square (602 E. 500 South, SLC, utaharts.org)

Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South, SLC, saltlakecountyarts.org)

Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St., SLC, saltlakecountyarts.org)

Kingsbury Hall (1395 E. Presidents Circle, SLC, artstickets.utah.edu)

Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center (2525 Taylorsville Rd., Taylorsville, saltlakecountyarts.org)

Pioneer Memorial Theatre (300 S. 1400 East, SLC, pioneertheatre.org)

Regent Street Black Box at the Eccles (144 Regent St., SLC, saltlakecountyarts.org)

Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (138 W. 300 South, SLC, saltlakecountyarts.org)

Salt Lake Acting Company (168 W. 500 North, SLC, saltlakeactingcompany.org)

Salt Lake Film Society @ Broadway Centre Cinemas (111 E. 300 South, SLC, slfs.org)

Utah Film Center (375 W. 400 North, SLC, utahfilmcenter.org)

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (20 S. West Temple, SLC, utahmoca.org)

Utah Museum of Fine Art (410 Campus Center Dr., SLC, umfa.utah.edu)

Wiseguys Comedy (Multiple locations, wiseguyscomedy.com)

legendary annual production of William Christensen’s The Nutcracker. Modern dance also finds terrific representation: Repertory Dance Theatre (rdtutah.org) preserves some of the greatest works of the movement canon; Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company (ririewoodbury.org) offers bold new choreography; and SBDance (sbdance.com) innovates with fresh movement perspectives and outdoor performances. Odyssey Dance (odysseydance.com) adds to the mix with its audience-friendly repertoire of pop-cultureinfluenced productions.

Theater

Whether your tastes tend towards established classics, big musical productions or intimate contemporary works, the local theater scene has you covered. Pioneer Memorial Theatre (pioneertheatre.org), Utah’s premier resident professional theater, stages everything from beloved musicals to Shakespeare to award-winning new plays, in both its traditional larger space and the newer Meldrum Theatre. Salt Lake Acting Company (saltlakeactingcompany.org) provides a season of innovative plays, including new works from both local artists and national stages.

Then there’s a tremendous wealth of work from smaller companies: Plan-B Theatre Company (planbtheatre.org) emphasizes new works, mostly by Utah playwrights; Pygmalion Productions (pygmalionproductions.org) supports an ongoing mission of presenting stories by and about women; Wasatch Theatre Company (wasatchtheatrecompany.org) enters its 30th season full of contemporary favorites; and New World

Shakespeare (newworldshakespeare.org) aims to bring the Bard into the 21st century with fresh interpretations. For the best in touring productions, Broadway at the Eccles (saltlakecity.broadway.com) presents the newest popular and award-winning works straight from New York stages.

Visual Arts, Museums & Galleries

While the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (utahmoca.org) is likely destined for relocation as part of a downtown renovation project, it remains one of the hubs of the local art scene, with multiple galleries showcasing local and national artists. The Utah Museum of Fine Art (umfa.utah.edu) on the University of Utah campus houses both permanent collections and touring exhibitions, along with regular artist events and film screenings in the building’s auditorium. Many smaller galleries, including the Salt Lake City Arts Council-operated Finch Lane Gallery (saltlakearts. org), add to the variety in the local scene, and most of them can be found as part of the monthly Gallery Stroll (gallerystroll.org).

Among the many museums are those dedicated to local pioneer history, like the Pioneer Memorial Museum (isdup.org), plus many with specialized educational focus. The Natural History Museum of Utah (nhmu. utah.edu) glows from the mountainside in its glorious copper building, presenting exhibits on the state’s geological and anthropological history and how it informs our present. Two great family-friendly spots take up residence at The Gateway downtown: Clark Planetarium (saltlakecounty.gov/clark-planetarium) celebrates the

wonders of the cosmos and presents specialty films on its IMAX screen; and Discovery Gateway (discoverygateway.org) provides hands-on exhibits to excite young visitors about science and industry.

Comedy

Wiseguys Comedy’s (wiseguyscomedy.com) three venues—downtown at The Gateway, in Ogden and in West Jordan—provide one of the state’s premiere showcases for terrific local comedians, as well as national headliners like Marc Maron, David Cross and Maria Bamford. Big touring acts may choose to bring their shows to larger venues, including the Eccles Theater (live-at-the-eccles.com), Kingsbury Hall (kingsburyhall.org), Maverik Center (maverikcenter. com) or even the Delta Center (deltacenter.com).

Film

Despite the recent departure of the Sundance Film Festival from its longtime Utah home—and in part because of the audience that festival built—the local film scene is a strong one. Salt Lake Film Society (slfs.org) remains the Salt Lake Valley’s premiere home for independent cinema; its centerpiece Broadway Centre Cinemas is undergoing a renovation in 2026 to upgrade seating for an even better experience of both new theatrical releases and repertory screenings of classic films. Utah Film Center (utahfilmcenter.org), which produces the annual Utah Queer Film Festival and Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Children, has a brand-new home for regular film screenings, workshops for aspiring filmmakers and more film-forward events. CW

DO. NOT. MISS.

Expect the unexpected when it comes to local music in

Salt Lake City.

BY MARK DAGO

Salt Lake City has some of the most unique music moments that I have ever witnessed. It’s a place where it’s as great to be a fan as it is to play as an artist. Quite a fun, eclectic mosaic emerges through observing audiences at our local venues, especially when you have a folk band in one room and a hip-hop act in the other.

In what follows, I’ve put together a snapshot of SLC—and whether you are visiting for the weekend or representing as a life-long Salt Laker, there is something for everyone. And . . . to make sure that you get the most out of your Salt City experience, please get into it and get involved!

Live And Direct

The Salt Lake of yore had its legacy clubs and to this day, there are still a number of spots to name-drop in conversation (looking at you, Kilby Court). Take advantage of these exciting one-of-a-kind venues where

live music can be heard on almost any given night.

The DLC at Quarters Arcade Bar (quartersslc. com) is an absolute treasure in the downtown area. The venue hosts an wide-ranging array of live music (local and touring acts), from rap to metal to singersongwriter types with seriously great sound. The aesthetic is unmatched as it is nestled inside of a barcade with a cassette tape stage backdrop that is really something to behold. (Ages 21+)

Aces High Saloon (aceshighsaloon.com) has everything—loud music, a pool table, bar bites, great sound and management that supports local music.

Billed as an “Outlaw Heavy Metal Bar,” they primarily focus on rock, punk and adjacent head-banging bills. It’s the right size for a show, as there is hardly a bad sight line in the room. Also, I can’t think of many places renowned for the excellence of their toilets but Aces is really . . . Aces. 5 stars. (Ages 21+)

The State Room (thestateroompresents.com) has some of the best acoustics in the city, with easy viewing from just about anywhere. This intimate theater is usually packed to capacity as music lovers dance and sway to jam bands, funky stuff, jazz and cousins of jazz, outlaw country and rock ‘n’ roll. The tiered bench pew-like

Continued on page 26

The Wood Brothers perform at the State Room

seating in the back is a nice option to boot. Locals that one might often see here are the Plastic Cherries, Daniel Young, Morgan Snow and the Discographers. (Ages 21+)

Rock Steady Retail

The best record shops aren’t places you visit to buy what you already know; they’re places you visit knowing you’ll hear something that’s new to you. You come away with something you’d never heard of but are suddenly very excited about. Especially when it comes to local music. Salt Lake City has this in spades.

Diabolical (diabolicalrecords.com) is like an Aladdin’s cave of records. Large, curated stock with a focus on indie bands and metal (also local acts!). It’s all priced fairly, according to the condition of vinyl, sleeve, inserts, etc. They’ve got cassettes and concert tickets too. When I dip in I’m usually after a particular genre. However, there’s an occasional gem to be had. The owner, Adam, is helping to keep alive a vibrant community of musicians and vinyl junkies.

The icon of icons. The Heavy Metal Shop (heavymetalshop.com) has got a good selection— quality, not quantity—of national and local music selections, including stuff I’ve never seen before. Owner Kevin Kirk has plenty of time for his customers and often gets visits from artists and musicians alike. This is the kind of shop wherein choosing a record involves reading, looking at artwork, learning about music, and talking with really nice people with excellent taste.

Raunch Records (1119 E. 2100 South) is the independent record shop where I cut my teeth on purchasing music. It’s also a spot where I tend to come

in knowing what I want—or at least will look for what I want—and walk away with something completely different. The owner, Brad Collins, is a SLC legend. The vinyl section is extensive and has both well-known and obscure stuff. Every time I’ve been in here my bank balance melts.

Specialized Nights

Nothing can ever light up the senses quite like a night out in the Salty City. Many of the special nights listed below are not middle-class coffee table books or experiences to “do” or tick off a list. More importantly, these are where many locals first forge their own identity and meet like-minded people, where new forms of culture are created and sometimes go on to change the world.

Ladies First at the Green Room: Be sure to check out the first Thursday of each and every month at Salt Lake City’s best Hi-Fi bar, the Green Room (17 E. 400 South), as the focus here is on the local female DJs. Also, on Friday and Saturday they have rotating local mainstays and another highlight is the Shake Up with Robin Banks which happens every third Saturday. (Ages 21+)

Give live jazz a chance with The Frontiers of Jazz at Fountain Records (fountainrecordsslc.com). Local players are encouraged to come on out for live sit-ins on the following nights: Wednesday’s Avant Garde Jazz, Thursday’s Traditional Jazz and Friday’s Improvised and Otherwise with special guests. (All ages)

Be a part of a Vangelis soundtrack at Doom Lounge at the International (internationalbarslc.com). Every Tuesday the straight-up Blade Runner-esque music is brought to you courtesy of David Payne and his house

bands: DEMONS and Midnight Jagz. Dave and company set the tone and guests take it from there. (Ages 21+)

Get up to scratch at Analog Funk at Bar-X (barxslc. com) every Wednesday night. Hosted by DJ Lowdown and Woody, it is a training ground for vinyl DJs—a great place for new folks to try things out or for seasoned vets to flex new ideas. Their laidback approach showcases that they just LOVE wax from all over (but they specialize in 70s & 80s funk) and they also love showcasing local DJs from all walks of life. (Ages 21+)

Experimental moments are part of the fun with Tape Nite at the International. Every third Thursday, Fischloops makes it easy to really tune in to the aesthetic by booking locals who manipulate cassette tape decks. The medium gets deconstructed, remixed, and reimagined—never losing the dance floor. (Ages 21+) CW

DID YOU KNOW?

The Painted Word

Formerly located at 401 S. 400 West, the Painted Word was a notable site for Salt Lake’s underground arts scene in the 1980s. Anything from hardcore rock and acoustic folk to poetry readings and dance would be performed at this night-owl coffee shop and bookstore. It closed in 1987 following tussles with Salt Lake City’s police department over a late-night entertainment ordinance.

The place for your next dramatic conversation, meaningful occasion, interesting situation, wild celebration or Omakase Night!

16 W MARKETT ST. • 385.202.7500

FOOD • JAPANESE WHISKEY • COCKTAILS

18 W MARKETT ST. • 801.519.9595

LUNCH • DINNER • COCKTAILS

Serving contemporary japanese cuisine, Takashi rocks and Takashi rolls. Gift certificates available

Sleepy Passenger performing at Urban Lounge

VENUE VIEWS

A handy guide to notable music spaces inside and out of the Salt Lake Valley.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON

There are a plethora of places dedicated to live music along the Wasatch Front. From Ogden to Provo and everywhere in between, here are just a few spots at which to enjoy awesome tunes.

Large Capacity

These are places where you’ll catch national and international acts and which host thousands of showgoers. If you’re looking for an arena-type experience, these are where you’ll want to go.

Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre: A mouthful of a title, we know, this is a huge outdoor venue where you can get pit tickets, seats or a spot on the lawn. Ticket prices depend on who’s playing and where you’re sitting, but it’s a great experience being in the fresh air with insanely loud music pumping in front of you. A few acts who are coming to UFCUA this year include Pitbull, Kid Cudi, The Pussycat Dolls, MGK and Hilary Duff, to name a few. utahfirstamp.com

Red Butte Garden: This amphitheater offers a stunning backdrop to go with listening to your favorite large music acts. The wide open space is perfect to plant a blanket or chair and hang out for the evening. One great thing about this venue is that you can bring your own food and drink inside (within reason), so it can be a cost-effective way to have some fun. Some acts coming through this year include The Human League, Kaleo and Jesse Welles. More are to be announced as we creep into summer. redbuttegarden.org

Sandy Amphitheater: Similar to the above venues, the Sandy Amphitheater offers an expansive outdoor venue with a great view. You can bring your own food and drink, plus they serve cocktails, wine and beer. Some acts coming through this year include Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab For Cutie. sandyamp.com

Delta Center: Though the stadium has undergone many name changes over the years, it’s remained a solid place to experience major acts passing through the Beehive State. This is your typical large stadium

experience—thousands of seats, huge stage, the works. In between hockey and basketball games you can see bands like Journey, Gorillaz and many more. deltacenter.com

Maverik Center: Another place to get that large stadium experience is the Maverik Center. Here you can catch acts like Bush, Puscifer, Charlie Puth, Josh Groban and many more. It’s a solid venue with snacks galore. Plus, the parking lot isn’t too huge and it’s less difficult to lose your vehicle in the post-show delirium. maverikcenter.com

Mid-size Outdoor

Gallivan Center: Not quite as large as UFCUA or Sandy Amphitheater, the Gallivan Center is a versatile space that hosts open mic nights, food trucks and plays host to festivals including the Utah Blues Festival. thegallivancenter.com

Ogden Amphitheater: The Ogden Amphitheater was underutilized for many years, but has an awesome potential for a fun show-going experience. Being the host of the Ogden Twilight series has made the venue much more popular.

Smaller, Well-Known Venues

If you go to a concert in the Salt Lake Valley, there’s a good chance you’ll end up at one of these smaller, well-known venues. Kilby Court (kilbycourt.com) has become a staple in the local music scene—every local band wants to have their photo taken with the iconic “Welcome to Kilby Court” sign.

The Commonwealth Room and The State Room (thestateroompresents.com) are both excellent options if you’re looking for superb sound quality. Commonwealth offers greater space for dancing while State features more intimate seating.

The Depot (depotslc.com) and The Complex (thecomplexslc.com) are mid-sized venues right in the heart of downtown, making them easy to access. They

host bands like The Devil Wears Prada, Lacuna Coil, Hinder, Insane Clown Posse and tons more.

The Union Event Center (theunioneventcenter. com) is another versatile venue that brings in popular bands like Boys Like Girls, Lamb of God, Black Veil Brides and many more.

Sky SLC (skyslc.com) is a more niche space catering to fans of electronic music. It’s a nightclub that features a retractable roof so you can dance the night away under the stars. They consistently have popular DJs coming through, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their schedule if you’re an EDM lover.

Metro Music Hall (metromusichall.com) is smaller, but offers a fun and wide variety of music experiences. You’ll get indie acts from all over the country coming through, as well as local talent, drag and cabaret shows and podcasts.

Soundwell (soundwellslc.com) is a cozy venue that allows you to be close to the performers, so it’s the perfect place to see a show if someone you love comes into town. Shows there regularly sell out, so you have to snipe tickets when you can.

The DLC (quartersslc.com) is an event space inside the Quarters Arcade Bar in SLC. It’s a great venue for when you’re wanting a night out where you can do a variety of things. How can you pass up on having a few drinks, playing arcade games and then watching a great live show? This venue is a must-visit.

The Urban Lounge (theurbanloungeslc.com) is a smaller, more cozy and intimate venue that hosts locals on the regular, but you can also attend events like ABBA disco nights, Emo karaoke and drag shows.

Velour Live Music Gallery (velourlive.com) is a small yet mighty venue in Provo where many locals cut their teeth. It celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026 and boasts thousands of incredible bands that have performed within its precincts. They also host open mic nights, costume concerts, and other themed events. It’s definitely not a venue to skip over. CW

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

A roundup of local arts and music events to plan for in the months ahead.

MAY

Kilby Block Party (May 15 - 17)

Kilby Block Party has become one of the biggest events of the summer, building a name for itself with consistently awesome lineups and improvements from year to year. This year’s lineup includes the likes of Lorde, Hayley Williams, Modest Mouse and many incredible local artists. Tickets for this one tend to go fast, so grab yours if you haven’t already. kilbyblockparty.com

Living Traditions Festival (May 15 - 17)

The launch of the summer arts season really begins with this annual three-day event presented by the Salt Lake Arts City Council, highlighting the wide range of cultural traditions that are represented in Utah, from the Americas to Europe, from Asia to Polynesia. Downtown’s Library Square becomes the venue for music, dance and other performances on four stages, a wide range of food offerings, family-friendly activities, craft demonstrations and vendors selling original work. The event is free, open to the public, and easily accessible via Trax light rail. saltlakearts.org

Nøvafest (May 23)

The SLC music scene is close-knit and those involved in it always try to build up the community and highlight fellow musicians. Nøvafest exemplifies those ideas by inviting 15 artists of varying genres to uplift each other and show off their talents. This is a one-night experience that’s not to be missed. eventbrite.com

Ogden Music Festival (May 29 - 31)

This festival highlights acoustic music and is one of Ogden’s longest-running events, bringing great acts from across the country as well as featuring locals who fit right in. Presented by Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music (OFOAM) the festival not only brings good tunes, but events for kids as well as camping. The beautiful backdrop of Fort Buenaventura is the cherry on top. ofoam.org

COMPILED BY EMILEE ATKINSON AND SCOTT RENSHAW

JUNE

Utah Blues Festival (June 12 - 13)

Events like the Utah Blues Festival may seem niche, but there’s fun to be had. Now in its 10th year, there are heaps of great artists on the bill, free workshops to learn from musicians and some of the best food trucks around town. Not a bad way to spend a weekend at all. utahbluesfest.org

Big Noise Festival (June 13)

Presented by the Utah Cultural Alliance, the Big Noise Festival is another epic showcase of local artists playing different genres and showing off their talent. There will be 16 bands across two stages, and the best part is that it’s totally free. Mark your calendars for this one and cure that weekend boredom. ccsoundhouse.com

Utah Arts Festival (June 18 - 21)

No single event in the state brings together as broad a cross-section of the artistic community as the annual Utah Arts Festival, which celebrates its landmark 50th anniversary in 2026 at Library Square in downtown Salt Lake City. For four days, thousands of visitors get to experience vendor booths by visual artists from Utah and around the country, along with live music, dance, short films, literary readings and more, plus great food offerings. This year, street theater group Bandaloop return for the first time since 2018 for daily performances, plus announced music headliners including GZA and Shakey Graves. uaf.org

Get Funky Festival (June 20 - 21)

Over the years Utah has firmly cemented itself as a hot spot for EDM events, and Get Funky is one of the biggest events of its kind. Rain or shine, Get Funky will bring lauded national acts to one place for an incredible weekend. Be sure to review the FAQs before grabbing your tickets—there are a lot of rules for large events like this. getfunkyfestival.com

Salt Lake Acting Company’s SLAC Summer Show (June 24 - Aug. 16)

For most of its 50-year history, Salt Lake Acting Company has devoted its summer production slot to a topical satire of societal and political craziness— whether internationally, nationally or here at home— set to musical parodies of pop hits and showtune standards. Guests often bring wine and picnic dinners to add more kick to the fun. saltlakeactingcompany.org

Ogden Twilight (June - August)

Ogden Twilight brings thousands of people to Historic 25th Street to catch national acts in this beloved series. The Black Keys and Mt. Joy headline this year. ogdentwilight.com

JULY

Twilight Concert Series @ Gallivan Center/Civic Center (July - October)

Salt Lake’s Twilight series is the OG, starting all the way back in 1988. The beautiful backdrop of SLC sets the mood perfectly for a great time. Notable headliners this year include Old Crow Medicine Show, Suki Waterhouse and The War on Drugs. Find more info at saltlakearts.org

Utah Symphony @ Deer Valley (July 17 - Aug. 15)

The summer season finds the Utah Symphony setting up camp for several performances at Deer Valley Resort’s outdoor amphitheater for some wonderful shows in a beautiful setting. The 2026 season is set to include classic works from the symphonic canon (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; Mozart’s “Jupiter;” Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite”), special events (a concert performance of the musical Chicago), and accompanying guest artists (Lyle Lovett; Idina Menzel). Subscription packages and individual tickets are both available. usuo.org

Continued on page 32

Polo & Pan at the Ogden Twilight Concert Series

Justice at 2025’s Kilby Block Party

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AUGUST

Das Energi Festival (August 7 - 9)

Yet another epic EDM festival, Das Energi has been expanded to three days. Currently the lineup is being kept under wraps, but at dasenergifestival.com, you can take 10 guesses as to who might be coming and potentially win two passes.

City Weekly Utah Beer Festival (Aug. 29 - 30)

Newcomers or visitors to Utah who are convinced that this couldn’t possibly be a place for a thriving local brewing scene: Here’s your concentrated proof to the contrary. City Weekly’s own annual summer festival highlights local and regional brewers with tasting sizes to sample a wide range of offerings, in addition to providing vendor tables, games, food and live entertainment, all in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. cityweekly.net

Urban Arts Festival (August 30)

If you’re trying to save money, but still have a good time this summer, you’ll want to hit up the Urban Arts Festival. It brings together not only music artists, but performance and visual arts as well. For the entire day you can listen to live music, visit vendors, watch murals be painted and even see a custom low rider car exhibit. It’s crazy how many fun things there are to do at this festival for free. utaharts.org

SEPTEMBER

Performing Arts Coalition Rose Wagner Showcase (Early September)

Every year, the resident companies of the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center—Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Plan-B Theatre Company, SB Dance, Repertory Dance Theatre, Pygmalion Productions and the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation—present a joint production as one of the primary kickoffs to the fall arts season. In recent years, the format has been a themed offering in which all the organizations collaborate, and while the 2026 theme has not been announced at press time, the event invariably showcases a lot of what these wonderful companies present year-round. saltlakecountyarts.org

FanX Salt Lake (Sep. 24 - 26)

In 2013, it wasn’t quite clear how big a pop-culture fan convention in Salt Lake City could be; 13 years later, it’s the largest annual convention in the state. The three-day event features a massive floor of vendors and creators, gaming rooms, cosplay contests and a full program of panels and discussions about TV, movies, comics, books, games and more. Plus, the roster of celebrity guests available for autographs and photo ops is always killer. At press time, 2026’s lineup includes Juliette Lewis, Giancarlo Esposito, Alan Tudyk, Helen Hunt, Kpop Demon Hunters’ May Hong and Friday the 13th’s Jason, Kane Hodder. fanxsaltlake.com

OCTOBER

Breakaway Music Festival (October 2 - 3)

October typically signifies the end of festival season, before the holidays descend and cold weather drives everyone inside. There are a couple final bashes that will help you go out with a bang, including the Breakaway Music Festival, a community-focused festival that celebrates music, connections and unforgettable experiences. breakawayfestival.com

Get Freaky

at FanX.

There are plenty of activities to do for spooky season, and one you might want to add is Get Freaky. This annual spooky EDM fest is an insanely fun time with show-goers who come in costume and incredible acts who bring the vibes. Watch for announcements on their Instagram, @getfreakyslc.

Utah Humanities Book Festival

The state’s premiere celebration of the literary arts, presented by the Utah Humanities Council, delivers a full month of programming stretching from one end of Utah to the other. Beginning in early October, look for a wide range of author events, panel discussions, workshops and more, both in-person and virtually, celebrating those who write the works we love. The event also presents the winners of the annual Utah Book Awards, which allows a unique opportunity to get to know some of this state’s own standout writers. utahhumanities.org

Odyssey Dance: Thriller

After a brief company hiatus a few years ago, Odyssey Dance returned with its lively modern-dance style, which was a particular delight to those who have made the Halloween-themed Thriller show an annual tradition. With dance numbers inspired by some of the most iconic figures in scary popular culture—from Frankenstein’s monster to Friday the 13th’s Jason to, yes, the famous Michael Jackson song—the show provides an ideal mix of the silly and the spooky in energetic dance. odysseydance.com

Pioneer Theatre Company: Little Shop of Horrors (Oct. 23 - Nov. 7)

Before they became the celebrated lyricist/composer team behind Disney animated classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken found unlikely material for Broadway musical theater in the 1960 Roger Corman B-movie about a timid florist’s assistant and

a mutant plant that feeds on blood. The giant puppeteered version of the plant known as “Audrey” has become one of the great theatrical props, and Pioneer Theatre Company treats local audiences to a Halloween-season production including great songs like “Suddenly, Seymour” and “Somewhere That’s Green.” pioneertheatre.org

NOVEMBER

Broadway at the Eccles: The Outsiders (Nov. 10 - 15)

It’s hard to pick a specific offering in a great year of touring shows that includes classics like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, plus first-time-in-Utah shows like Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen. But you might want to keep your eyes open for this 2024 Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s classic youngadult novel about 1960s teenagers dealing with class warfare. saltlakecity.broadway.com

DECEMBER

Ballet West’s The Nutcracker (Dec. 4 - 12)

For more than 70 years, Ballet West has been the exclusive home of a celebrated version of the beloved Christmas story, originally choreographed by William Christensen in 1944. It has even been designated as a “Living Historic Landmark” by the state of Utah. More importantly, Balet West’s Nutcracker is a delightful production that has become a family tradition spanning generations, as new audiences are introduced every year to E.T.A. Hoffmann’s fanciful tale of a young girl’s holiday dreams, brought to life to the iconic music of Tchaikovsky. balletwest.org CW

Just a couple of the characters encountered

DINE AROUND AND AROUND

Gallivanting about Salt Lake City’s most hopping foodie hotspots.

BY ALEX SPRINGER

While there was a time when Salt Lake City’s quality restaurants were fairly consolidated in the Central City area, the past few years have seen the whole Wasatch Front explode with great dining options. Not only have these restaurants expanded the boundaries of Utah’s food scene, they’ve established footholds for entire dining ecosystems to thrive. Driven by a mixture of local culinary talent looking to prove itself, a vibrant community of immigrants from all over the world and more than a few wildcards, here are the neighborhoods with the highest concentration of excellent restaurants.

Central Ninth

900 South 200 West

Just west of Main Street on Harvey Milk Boulevard, the commercial district of Central Ninth has grown to become one of Downtown SLC’s hippest of hotspots. It started small with Blue Copper Coffee (bluecopperslc.com) and has since grown to include a wide range of restaurants, cafes and nightspots. It’s here that you’ll find Cosmica (cosmicasaltlake.com), a contemporary Italian restaurant that was recognized by The New York Times as one of America’s best restaurants. If casual Italian is more your thing, SnowmoBAR (snowmobar.com) serves up creative pizza pies alongside an expansive selection of beer.

Central Ninth also includes some of Salt Lake’s most creative nods toward Asian cuisine, chief among them being Junah ( junahslc.com). This local darling recently landed itself as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant for its head-turning Japanese/Italian fusion menu. Bar Nohm (barnohm.com) is a Korean and Japaneseinspired izakaya spot that serves up tasty small plates like beef skewers and grilled mackerel that pair well with its wide variety of Japanese whiskey. Just around the corner on 200 West you’ll find The Pearl (thepearlslc.com), where Chef Tommy Nguyen was also recognized by the James Beard Foundation as a semifinalist for best regional chef.

Once dinner is over, there are plenty of watering holes along Central Ninth. James Beard Award-nominated Water Witch (waterwitchbar. com) is the grandaddy of the crew, with a curated

menu known for its creative spins on classic cocktails. A pair of great cideries also reside in the Central Ninth area—Scion Cider (scionciderbar.com) boasts a menu of over 200 different ciders and Thieves Guild Cidery (thievesguildcidery.com) blends craft cider with a medieval tavern vibe.

Post District

500 South 300 West

This residential apartment cluster grew alongside a thriving restaurant and bar scene, and it’s all anchored by Urban Hill (urban-hill.com). Operated by James Beard Award-nominated Chef Nick Zocco, this contemporary American restaurant has been on the cutting edge of Salt Lake’s dining culture. Whether you’re popping in for Sunday brunch or looking for a stylish backdrop for your next date night, Urban Hill rarely disappoints. Speaking of brunch, Sunday’s Best (brunchmehard.com) is one of the city’s most unapologetic boozy brunch enthusiasts. Even after diners have had their fill of monkey bread and Bloody Marys, they can always retreat to the upstairs lounge to keep the party going.

Post District is also home to Mensho Ramen (mensho.com), a Japanese franchise born from a Michelinstarred restaurant in Tokyo. Its presence in Salt Lake City has not only demonstrated the quality of our local ramen game, but has put the state’s fertile restaurant market on the radar for other out-of-state franchises. Regardless of the international attention that Downtown SLC has been getting, the Post District maintains plenty of local flavor. For example, the West Valley institution known as La Casa Del Tamal (lacasadeltamalutah. com) recently opened its second location here. This upscale Mexican restaurant is all about signature tamales and rich beef birria, and it’s a most welcome addition to the Post District.

In addition to its versatile restaurant roster, the Post District is home to a taproom and restaurant by Level Crossing Brewing Company (levelcrossingbrewing. com), a local craft brewery based in South Salt Lake.

Keeping with true brewpub sensibilities, Level Crossing’s selection of draft beer is complemented by a food menu that includes wood-fired pizza whipped up on the spot.

Salt Lake Chinatown

3370 S. State Street

Locovores that want to take a deep dive into the myriad flavors of Asian cuisine need look no further than Salt Lake Chinatown. At its hub is the Chinatown Supermarket (chinatown-supermarket.com), a grocery store that specializes in imported ingredients from all over Asia. Restaurants, cafes and bakeries form the spokes of this vibrant cultural wheel, and it’s a wonderland for those eager to explore Asian cuisine on the Wasatch Front.

Fans of Chinese noodle soup will want to check out One More Noodle House (onemorenoodlehouseut. com) for its extensive menu of beef, pork and vegetarian noodles. It’s one of the few local places that will gladly bombard your taste buds with Sichuan peppercorns, which are known for their numbing sensation once they hit the tongue. Oishi Ramen (oishiramenus.com) has ramen enthusiasts covered—it’s known for its handpulled ramen noodles, soup dumplings and traditional dishes like spiced beef tendon and takoyaki.

One of the most popular aspects of the Chinatown area is its affection for street food culture, exemplified by 9-UP Night Market (9upnightmarket.com). Its menu of appetizers include classics like pork belly bao and bags of Jiggle Fries, which come in a paper bag with your choice of seasoning—give the bag a jiggle and you’ve got fries seasoned with nori or honey barbecue. If you’re after more of an entree, the slow-braised pork belly rice bowl is fantastic—9-UP braises theirs for 24 hours.

Recently the area has seen the Korean classic tteokbokki gain in popularity thanks to Halgatteok (halgatteokslc.com). Tteokbokki are a type of chewy rice cake shaped into cylinders and then tossed in a variety of flavorful sauces along with items like noodles, eggs and veggies. Korean restauraunts are gaining traction in Salt Lake and Halgatteok is one of the best. CW

Crown Burgers’ namesake item

A Funeral Potato Pasty at The Dough Miner

THE MUST LIST

Fifteen signature dishes and drinks that define Utah’s food culture.

BY ALEX SPRINGER

It’s said that to truly experience a culture, you have to eat that culture’s food. At first glance, the cuisine of Utah may seem like that of any other western state. When you dig a little deeper, however, you’ll find that Utah has plenty of its own unique dishes and drinks. Here’s a quick primer for the Beehive State’s signature plates and pours.

Rigatoni al Sugo Della Mamma

Valter’s Osteria

173 W. Broadway valtersosteria.com

A high-end Italian restaurant is a fairly regular sight in any metropolitan area, but this particular dish at this particular high-end Italian restaurant is truly unique to Salt Lake City. It’s an old world porcini and meat sauce recipe that the late Valter Nassi received from his mother, and it’s become a symbol of Valter’s commitment to excellence.

Crown Burger

Crown Burgers

Multiple locations

crown-burgers.com

Though the pastrami burger didn’t technically originate in Utah, it became a local staple after its originator, the late James Katsanevas opened the first Crown Burgers in Salt Lake City. Since Crown Burgers opened its doors, there are plenty of burger joints that offer a pastrami burger, but the Crown Burger remains the original—and the best.

Cold Smoked Elk Loin

Bambara

202 S. Main Street

bambara-slc.com

Utah has always been a good source of game protein like bison, venison and elk, and our local restaurants have taken full advantage of this. The cold smoked elk loin at Bambara is one of the best uses of game protein as it showcases the meat’s leanness and emphasizes its natural flavors.

The Founder Swig

Multiple locations swig.com

When Swig introduced its menu of dirty sodas—soft drinks with mix-ins that are a bit too casual to designate as mocktails—to the Wasatch Front, Utah was hooked. The Founder, for example, is a Diet Coke mixed with sugar-free coconut syrup, coconut cream and a twist of fresh lime. It’s considered to be the genesis point of dirty sodas, and offers the best distillation of Swig’s menu.

Jell-O Salad

Chuck-A-Rama

Multiple locations

chuck-a-rama.com

Chuck-A-Rama has been Utah’s all-you-can-eat buffet of choice since the 1960s, and its affection for Jell-O salad aligns with the state’s own regional appreciation for the wobbly dessert. From cubed strawberry Jell-O tossed in whipped cream to lemon chiffon, all of your favorite Jell-O cravings can be satisfied here.

Funeral Potato Pasty

The Dough Miner 945 S. 300 West, Ste. 101 doughminer.com

The cheesy potato dish topped with crunchy corn flakes known as funeral potatoes is one of Utah’s greatest claims to fame, and The Dough Miner has combined this classic dish with the Cornish pasty. As pasties also have ties to the old silver mining trade in Park City, this particular pasty is a double dose of Utah culture.

Elevated Gin

Alpine Distilling 364 Main Street, Park City alpinedistilling.com

Park City’s Alpine Distilling has always been a gem of Utah’s local distilling community. In 2021, the distillery turned a few heads when its Elevated Gin took home a gold medal in the 2021 Gin of the Year competition in London. It’s available at most local bars, but sipping on this award-winning spirit at the distillery’s Park City Social Aid & Pleasure Club is a true pleasure.

OG Chip

Chip Cookies

Multiple locations chipcookies.co

As the dirty soda’s popularity can attest, Utahns have a sweet tooth. The monstrous, right-out-of-the-oven cookies at Chip Cookies were among the first gonzo cookie bakeries to really catch on locally. The OG is a chocolate chip cookie roughly the size of a soft ball, and it’s always a pleasure for chocolate chip cookie fans.

Continued on page 38

COURTESY

Smoked Meatloaf

Pat’s Barbecue

155 W. Commonwealth Avenue patsbbq.com

With great local camping and a pioneer heritage that celebrates traditional recipes, smoked meats are one of Utah’s specialties. For a dish that combines traditional Sunday dinner fare like meatloaf with the smoker, one need only head over to Pat’s Barbecue for a few slabs of smoked meatloaf. It combines the meat-andpotatoes charm of traditional meatloaf with Pat’s skill at the smoker for hearty and flavorful results.

Kālua Pig

Mo’ Bettahs

Multiple locations mobettahs.com

Hawaiian cuisine has made quite an impact on Utah’s local dining scene, and Mo’ Bettahs is one of the genre’s local founders. From fried katsu chicken to Spam musubi, this local chain specializes in traditional Hawaiian flavors. Its most popular option on its one-, two- or three-meat plates is the kālua pig, a heaping helping of 10-hour slow roasted pulled pork.

Fry Sauce

Arctic Circle

Multiple locations acburger.com

Fry sauce is ubiquitous in Utah—most places that serve fries will also have this locally-grown condiment handy. It’s said to have gotten its start at local fast food chain Arctic Circle when founder Don Carlos Edwards mixed ketchup and mayo to set the restaurant’s burgers apart from competitors. Those looking to try fry sauce at the source need only visit a nearby Arctic Circle.

Utah Scone

Penny Ann’s Cafe

Multiple locations pennyannscafe.com

While there is still an ongoing debate about whether or not a Utah scone is actually a scone, its fry bread texture and frequent collaboration with whipped honey butter is good enough to make us forget semantics. Penny Ann’s Cafe has become a favorite spot to snag one of these dinner-plate sized pastries, and the restaurant definitely does not skimp on the toppings.

High West 101 Whiskey Flight

High West Saloon

703 Park Avenue, Park City highwest.com

Also based in Park City, High West Saloon is the retail and restaurant arm of High West Distillery. The High West 101 Whiskey Flight is the best way to sample the award-winning distillery’s signature spirits. A cool twenty bucks will get you shots of High West Bourbon, Double Rye, Rendezvous Rye and Campfire whiskey. Try a sample here and then grab a bottle of your favorite on the way out.

Navajo Tacos

Black Sheep Cafe

19 N. University Avenue, Provo blacksheepcafe.com

Known for its recipes inspired by the Indigenous people of the American West, Black Sheep Cafe is a must for fry bread fans. The restaurant’s Navajo tacos are assembled on made-from-scratch fry bread and flavors like red chili beef and barbecue pork, and they’re a perfect mix of flavor and texture.

Traci’s Peanut Butter Cup Sundae

Leatherby’s Family Creamery

Multiple locations

leatherbys.com

Leatherby’s has a wide variety of sundaes, shakes and other frozen treats from which to choose. While there’s really no wrong sundae here, it’s the Traci’s Peanut Butter Cup that remains a constant classic. It starts with heaps of vanilla ice cream that get topped with melted chocolate and peanut butter along with whipped cream and a cherry—it will always put you in a good mood. CW

Kālua Pig from Mo’ Bettahs

Navajo Tacos from Black Sheep Cafe

BEEHIVE BEST

Selections from City Weekly’s Best of Utah 2025

Best American Diner

Ruth’s Diner

The iconic diner created in a Salt Lake trolley car, with arguably the best biscuits and homemade jam in the state, earns a well-deserved top nod. Few eateries stand the test of time with the same vigor and consistency that has made Ruth’s Diner a local go-to since the 1930s. ruthsdiner.com

2. Penny Ann’s Cafe

3. The Park Cafe

Best Comfort Food Dish

Butter Chicken (Bhansa Ghar)

Move over, mac n’ cheese—butter chicken is crowned comfort food fave! Bhansa Ghar tucks juicy, tender pieces of dark meat into its rich, creamy curry with tomato, onion, cashew and raisin, plus a signature blend of spices. Speaking of spice, you can order it as hot as you like, but be careful what you wish for—this is real-deal Nepalese cuisine with chilies that pack a punch! bhansagharut.com

2. Gumbolaya (The Bayou)

3. Stroganoff (Hoof & Vine)

Best Cookies

RubySnap Cookies

Frida, Judy, Virginia, Louise . . . these aren’t the ladies in your neighborhood sewing circle, unless that circle is made of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. They’re the names of just a few of the delectable cookies at RubySnap. The brain child of founder Tami Steggell, each cookie features a compelling backstory alongside gourmet ingredients, like the Suzie—a pink vanilla dough with tart cherries and milk chocolate named for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization. rubysnap.com

2. Chip Cookies

3. Crave Cookies

Best Food Hall

Woodbine Food Hall

The Granary District is developing into a dining destination that can hold its own against downtown, but Woodbine is the food hall that anchors it all. Home of award-winning Salt City Barbecue and sandwich savant Deadpan (if ever a sando could blow your mind, it’s here), Woodbine also houses Mercato Kitchen, Yakuza Ramen and Old Cuss Coffee Co., alongside burgers, sushi, cookies, dogs, pizza and a rooftop bar. woodbineslc.com

2. HallPass

3. Sugar House Station

Best German Restaurant

Siegfried’s Delicatessen

There are two ways to enjoy this absolute landmark of downtown SLC. You can go in to enjoy a classic German meal, served up by the longtime employees and ordered from

a series of steaming pans behind the glass countertop. Or you can peruse the shelves for a li’l somethin’ to take home, be that a Euro soda or a German pantry standard (like Maggi seasoning or Knorr soups, staples of every German kitchen cupboard).

siegfriedsdelislc.com

2. Bohemian Brewery

3. Weller’s Bistro

Best Inexpensive Lunch Buds

Online, Bud’s boasts that they have the best sandwiches in Salt Lake and they just happen to be vegan. It’s hard to argue with that assessment. One can easily get lost in a doom spiral of eating nothing but Bud’s for lunch for weeks if they’re not careful. Part of it comes to the price point. For the money, it’s a steal and even the carnivore in your lunch bunch can’t argue with the taste. budsslc.com

2. Vessel Kitchen

3. Oh Mai Vietnamese Kitchen

Best Pretzel

Dangerous Pretzel

This ain’t yo mamma’s mall pretzel! With flavor combos like bourbon maple bacon and chili cheddar with hot honey glaze and jalepeño, Dangerous Pretzel dares to go where no dough has gone before. Wash it all down with a local beer or cider (we told you this isn’t the mall!), then grab an order of sweet cinnamon and sugar Saint Bombs for dessert. dangerouspretzel.com

2. Bohemian Brewery

3. Ice Haus

Vegan/Vegetarian

Calling all vegans, vegetarians and plantcurious, Vertical Diner and Zest Kitchen & Bar are the names to know for your next brunch, lunch or dinner. Vertical aims to satisfy your classic diner cravings with 100% plant-based riffs on classics like burgers, Reubens, cheese fries and milkshakes. (They even offer a shiitake escargot, if you’re feeling bougie!) Head to Zest for bar bites like jalapeño poppers, nachos and pizzas, plus gluten-free vegan pastas and desserts. We’re especially fond of the chocolate beet torte with avocado frosting.

Best Vegan Restaurant

Vertical Diner

verticaldiner.com

2. Buds

3. Sweet Hazel & Co. Bakeshop & Bistro

Best Vegetarian Restaurant

Zest Kitchen & Bar

zestslc.com

2. All Chay

3. Vertical Diner

The Mile-High Biscuit at Ruth’s Diner

Schnitzel from Siegfried’s

Mac and Cheese at Vertical Diner

WE SELL NEW AND USED AUTO PARTS

We purchase vehicles through auctions, other dealers, and individuals. Those are then checked, stripped, parts cleaned, and then put into inventory. We’ve got parts you won’t find anywhere else in Utah.

2201 S. 2700 W. West Valley, UT 84119 (801) 972-2700 rowlandautowrecking.com

NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN

A brief guide to bars and clubs in Salt Lake City.

BY ARICA ROBERTS

This year, along with the classic, beloved local spots to grab a drink, there have been many new additions of places in which to let loose. Whether you’re into more of a fancy cocktail, playing pool with some beers or want to dance the night away, this guide will show you that there are plenty of spaces across the city you can go.

CLASSIC DIVE BARS

In the heart of downtown, Johnny’s SLC ( johnnysslc. com) is a classic dive bar. There are cheap shots and beer deals, plenty of pool tables, and karaoke nights. If you are venturing outside of downtown, A Bar Named Sue (abarnamedsue.com) has a good crowd that isn’t too loud to socialize. With 26 beers on tap, it is a great place for a low-key drink and live music. There are also karaoke nights, free bar games, UFC, and weekly events with cash prizes. Truly a bar that has it all. Be sure to also check out Twilite Lounge, Boomerangs Down Under, and Duffy’s Tavern if you want to bar hop around the city. The Spot (870 S. Main St.) is the perfect hole in the wall equipped with a jukebox. Aces High Saloon (1588 S. State) sounds like a cowboy bar but it’s actually a hardcore/metal venue. They have an area in the back with pinball machines, if that’s more your vibe.

COCKTAIL BARS

If you are feeling fancier, a newer spot in the city is Mother Cafe & Bar (369 S. Main St.), where specialty coffee, hospitality, music, and downtown culture meet as a coffee shop by day and a bar and dance club by night. It’s a space where sound is central, the room feels intimate, and the energy of the night is shaped as much by what is being played as by the people gathered inside it.

Some other fun places to check out when you’re still in your nice attire are the Van Ryder rooftop bar (131 S. 300 West) for a stunning view of the sunset over the Great Salt Lake, Brownstone 22, a classy oyster and martini bar, the Gossip Speakeasy at Gossip Kitchen (152 E. 200 South), Bar Nohm, and The Yeti Bar & Lounge. For a unique experience, go listen to some live records at The Green Room, a Hi-Fi listening bar.

LGBTQ+ BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS

Salt Lake City prides itself in being a safe haven for LGBTQ+ folk and our city’s bars reflect this. The beloved SunTrapp (suntrappslc.com) reopened this last year and is the one to go to see some fabulous drag shows. Club Try-Angles (clubtryangles.com) is your late-night gay dive bar and a fun place to take a date! If you are looking for more of a nightclub with DJs and a dance floor, look no further than MILK+ (milkslc.com), which includes two dance floors and a patio. Last but not least, Why Kiki (whykikibar.com) is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. From drag shows to silent disco, it’s a fun place for everyone. Make sure to try their signature fishbowl drink while you’re there.

NIGHT CLUBS

For a full clubbing experience, you must check out Sky SLC (skyslc.com). They have been around for over a decade and boast both indoor and rooftop stages. The indoor stage has high-quality lighting and sound and tends to attract top DJs from around the world. The rooftop includes a DJ booth, bar, plenty of tables, and an open dance floor. It’s a full-on vibe in the summer, so be sure to check out the Summer Rooftop Series starting in May. For a more laidback clubbing experience, EVE SLC (eveinslc.com) also provides rooftop access and live DJs.

IBIZA SLC Ultra Lounge hosts regular Latin nights while Gem Nightclub is where you will find late-night hip-hop. Molly’s Gemini Room is also consistently rated as the best gentlemen’s club in Salt Lake City and is a woman-owned business.

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

If you’re someone who wants a bar that also has a bit of a nightclub feel, The International (internationalbarslc.com) and Lake Effect (lakeeffectslc.com) are the best options in the city. The International’s Artist Lounge has live DJs but is on a smaller scale, so you’ll still feel like you’re in a bar. Lake Effect can get crowded—especially if there is a show next door at the Soundwell music venue.

There are so many places in the city to try. Just remember to always be aware of your surroundings, call an Uber or ride transit, share your location, and help keep our city safe! CW

HAVE YOU STOPPED BY...

The Organ Loft

Impressed with the Wurlitzer of San Francisco’s old Fox Theatre, Lawrence Bray (1923-1982) set about getting one of his own. Purchasing a disassembled organ in 1946, Bray stored his pet project in his uncle’s chicken coop at 3331 Edison Street. The organ subsequently grew with additions. Today, the Wurlitzer continues to play for silent film screenings at Edison Street Events. edisonstreetevents.com

COURTESY PHOTO COURTESY PHOTO COURTESY PHOTO

A Bar Named Sue

Lake Effect

Mondays

Tuesdays TEQUILA

wednesdays

thursdays

KARAOKE W/ DJ KIKI 9PM

sundays

ADULT TRIVIA 7PM

Best of Utah 2025

Bar Amenities

We love a good dive bar, but if you’re looking to imbibe with more of a vibe, here are five spots that stand out among the sticky floors and tired taps. For beers with your bestie (man’s best friend), Templin Family Brewing features a dog-friendly patio and plenty of fire pits to keep you cozy. Come patio weather, Ivy & Varley have revamped the old Caffé Molise space into an outdoor sanctuary you have to see to believe. Gracie’s bar menu caters to those who want to get inebriated and satieted—we rec the mango habanero fried chicken sando and a pineapple daiquiri. Bar bathrooms have historically been a gamble, but the art deco-inspired loos at Lake Effect are a game changer (think polished brass, hanging glass pendants and emerald-cut mirrors). And if it’s games you’re after, A Bar Named Sue has the best bingo night in town.

Best Bar Bathroom Lake Effect lakeeffectslc.com

2. Quarters Arcade Bar - Downtown 3. Prohibition

Best Bar Bingo A Bar Named Sue abarnamedsue.com 2. Willies Lounge 3. Manny’s Neighborhood Bar

Best Dog-Friendly Bar Patio Templin Family Brewing tfbrewing.com 2. Fisher Brewing Company 3. Handle Bar

Best Bar Menu

Gracie’s graciesslc.com

2. White Horse Spirits & Kitchen

3. The Bayou

Best Bar Patio

Ivy & Varley ivyandvarley.com

2. The Hog Wallow Pub

3. Gracie’s

Nightlife Activities

In Utah, where our alcohol and nightlife laws are restrictive and highly debated, it’d be easy to assume there aren’t many spots to sip a beer and indulge in the simple pleasures of life. That couldn’t be further from the case. Manny’s Neighborhood Bar is the place to practice your poker face. Big Willies has plenty of pool tables that you can reserve for a whole day, if that’s your idea of a good time. Trivia nerds should check out HK Brewing, and Highlander Pub has won in City Weekly’s Best Karaoke category for years, so chances are good that attendees don’t have to deal with an off-key “My Heart Will Go On” or halfhearted “Tequila.”

Best Karaoke

Highlander Pub highlanderutah.com

2. Manny’s Neighborhood Bar

3. Drag Karaoke w/Sequoia @Blue Gene’s

Best Poker Night

Manny’s Neighborhood Bar facebook.com/mannysagain

2. A Bar Named Sue

3. The Midway

Best Place to Shoot Pool Big Willies bigwillieslounge.com

2. A Bar Named Sue

3. The Hog Wallow Pub

Best Trivia Night

HK Brewing Collective Taproom & Bar hkbrewing.com

2. Craft By Proper

3. Thieves Guild Cidery

HAVE YOU STOPPED BY...

Mrs.

Backer’s

Pastry Shop

A long family tradition rests beneath the bright pink surface of this classic Salt Lake bakery at 434 E. South Temple. Coming to Utah in the 1920s from Germany, Gerhard Backer (1888-1984) started things off with his West High Bakery. Backer’s son Martin (1918-2003) and Martin’s wife Phoebe (19202005) continued the tradition with their purchase of the current location of Mrs. Backer’s in 1941. Today, the bakery continues to be operated by members of the Backer family. mrsbackers.com

FOOT TRAFFIC

Ditch the car and explore Salt Lake in an hour, an afternoon or all day along these curated walking paths.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD

The best way to experience a place is on foot.

That’s not always easy along the Wasatch Front, where many people’s idea of a “walking path” is the gap between their car and a front door.

But Salt Lake City and County are full of multi-use trails and low-traffic streets that provide the perfect settings for heading out on a stroll. And these hidden and not-so-hidden gems play a critical role in supporting small businesses and enhancing local community connections.

Ready for the road less traveled? Here’s a list of great places to go for a walk, whether you’re looking to kill some time in the city or spend a day chasing the horizon. For bonus points, we included transit suggestions to build out a fully car-free trip.

Downtown Adjacent

The 9-Line

Salt Lake’s marquee urban trail on 900 South is a perfect microcosm of the city. From Redwood Road out west to the 9th and 9th Whale on the lip of the east bench, a 30-minute walk or bike ride in either direction and from nearly any starting point will pass by a singular blend of local shops and restaurants, parks and open spaces, century-old homes and brand new mixed-use developments.

Bonus points: Trax to 900 South Station.

Notable nodes: Jordan Park, Central Ninth, Maven District, Milk Block, Liberty Park, 9th and 9th.

Liberty Park + 600 East Byway

While it would be great if every street was like 900 South, the next best thing is Salt Lake’s network of neighborhood byways, naturally slow-speed and quiet streets intentionally made more so through traffic calming and landscaping. The most developed byway is 600 East, which is fully pedestrianized through the center of Liberty Park, the city’s flagship greenspace.

Whether approaching from the north or south, 600 East boasts some of the most pleasant urban environments the city has to offer, with the option of adding the Liberty loop for added scenery.

Bonus points: Trax to Trolley Station; S-Line to 700 East Station.

Notable nodes: Trolley Square, Liberty Park, Liberty Wells, Parley’s Trail.

City Limits

Bonneville Shoreline + City Creek Canyon

Many of the places known as “mountain towns” (cough, Denver, cough) can only dream of the outdoor access that Salt Lakers enjoy. Thanks to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail network, locals can scratch that itch and be in the backcountry within minutes, with hik-

ing and mountain biking access points along the east bench, above the University of Utah and through the Upper Avenues and Capitol Hill neighborhoods.

Keep heading upward for an increasingly rugged excursion, or drop into City Creek Canyon from Bonneville Boulevard and let gravity guide you into downtown through Memory Grove.

Bonus points: Trax to University Medical.

Notable nodes: This is the Place Heritage Park, Red Butte Garden, I Street, Bonneville Blvd, Ensign Peak.

Parley’s Trail

Running east-west in the general vicinity of 2100 South, this is a preferred cycling and jogging route that has increasingly come alive as an urbanized pedestrian space as new development fills in and revitalizes what was previously a dilapidated freight corridor.

Recent improvements to the walkability of the Sugar House neighborhood and a push by South Salt Lake to cover blank walls in mural art have added connectivity and comfort to the route. But unfortunately, it falls apart west of State Street, keeping the trail from reaching its full potential as a regional connector.

Bonus points: S-Line to stops east of Central Pointe.

Notable nodes: “Downtown” South Salt Lake, Liberty Wells, Fairmont Park, Hidden Hollow, Sugar House Park, Highland High School, Tanner Park.

Head for the Hills

Main Line

While not officially a trail, Main Street has relatively little traffic along most of its 7-mile length from Capitol Hill to Murray, leading it to be affectionately known as the “Main Line” among car-free diehards. Some of the most notable destinations of four different cities are located along this corridor—after all, that’s why it’s called Main street—making it an ideal place for a casual stroll or a bike ride into downtown.

Be advised, while Salt Lake City, Millcreek and Murray recognize State Street as the obvious route for commuter traffic, South Salt Lake has opted to hand its segment of Main over to drivers as well, expecting pedestrians and cyclists to divert to West Temple.

Bonus points: Trax to Murray North Station, S-Line to South Salt Lake Station

Notable nodes: Second Summit, Chinatown Supermarket, Bonwood Bowl, Parley’s Trail, Penny Ann’s Cafe, Ballpark, 9-Line, Gallivan Plaza, Temple Square.

Jordan River Parkway

Nothing compares to the Jordan River Trail, a 40-milelong ribbon of park space and community connections that hits three counties while cutting through the state’s population center. Actually no, the closest comparison is Interstate 15 … and the JRT beats it handily.

Tracking along the Jordan River as it winds between Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake, the JRT is the perfect choose-your-own-adventure setting, with endless miles of paved path waiting around each corner. If you know, you know. If you don’t, find where the river runs closest to you and check it out.

Bonus points: Trax to River Trail Station (West Valley) or Historic Gardner Station (Midvale); Frontrunner to Draper Station or Lehi Station.

Notable nodes: Too many to count. CW

ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR A NEWCOMER TO THE SALT LAKE AREA?

“Take a tour with SLC Rooftop Tours (slcrooftoptours.com).”

—Edwin Glass, Sugar House

Along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

PET PLAY

Five fun options for the furry, fourlegged friends in our lives.

BY BRANDI CHRISTOFFERSEN

For many pet owners, their four-legged companions are more than just animals—they’re family. Feeling such an incredible bond with one’s pet, you’d want to spend as much time with them as possible, like taking them along on excursions and outings.

Fortunately for those of us in the Salt Lake area, there are many places that welcome our furry family members. The following is a list of some of the best.

Stroll Through The Gateway

Spanning two city blocks, The Gateway (400 W. 200 South) welcomes shoppers and their domesticated pets. The multi-use complex is an excellent place for a long walk while you mix in some shopping and a bite to eat. The main plaza boasts a splash pad, creek and fountain that little critters can use to cool off and have some fun.

“The Gateway is a favorite spot for my pups to explore and socialize,” said Guinnevere Shuster, director of marketing and communications for the Humane Society of Utah. “A normal walk becomes a mini adventure with a quick car ride, plenty of fun photo opportunities and, of course, we always look forward to the pup cup at the end.”

The Gateway requires that owners remain with their pets at all times, and the animals must be leashed. Additionally, pet parents are responsible for removing any animal waste.

Explore Memory Grove

Established as a tribute to Utah’s fallen members of the military, Memory Grove (300 N. Canyon Road) features veteran memorials, a replica of the Liberty Bell and a lovely, meandering creek.

Located just below the Utah State Capitol at the base of City Creek Canyon, most of the park requires that pets be on a leash. However, there is an off-leash area—the Freedom Trail—that your furry pal will adore. To reach the trail, head north through the park and to the east side of the creek.

You will reach a dirt path with signage indicating when to remove your pet’s leash. Once on the Freedom Trail, your dog can run, play and jump in the creek, while you enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Memory Grove is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; pet owners are expected to clean up after them.

Run-A-Muck With Your Pup

Just off of I-80 and the Park City/Kimball Junction exit sits a sprawling, 44-acre wonderland—the aptly named Run-A-Muk Dog Park and Trail (2387 Olympic Parkway). Located directly below the Utah Olympic Park, this hiking dog park provides fenced-in, noleash freedom for you and your four-legged companion. As your little one plays in the fields and sagebrush, you too can get some exercise by walking along the extensive trail.

If you have young children, they too will enjoy the gentle, flat terrain and appreciate the fresh mountain air—a full 10 degrees colder than in the valley. The low-

Huxley the dog goes for a stroll through The Gateway.

er temperatures will feel especially heavenly for your pet during the stifling summer months.

“Run-A-Muk is by far our most popular trail in the basin district,” said Phares Gines, of Basin Recreation Trails and Open Space.

The park is accessible from either the Millenium Trail, south of Whole Foods and just north of Bear Cub Drive, or at the well-marked parking lot off of the Olympic Parkway.

The higher altitude can lead to extra physical exertion and exhaustion, so be sure to bring lots of water for you and your pup.

Puppy Pool Party

In the heart of Millcreek you will find the DogMode Aquatic Fitness Center (4030 S. Howick St.). Inside the facility is a 45-feet-long, 20-feet-wide salt water pool specifically built for your furry water baby.

The sparkling, clean, temperature controlled water provides the perfect space for your pup to swim, play and have a great time. There is also an outdoor fenced area to allow your little swimmer a place to rest and take potty breaks, if needed.

While dogs of all sizes, shapes and breeds are welcome in the pool, certain requirements must be met before any swimtime reservations can be made.

All dogs must be up to date/current on vaccinations: Bordetella (6 month), distemper and rabies.

All dogs must complete a “swim orientation” before participating in any pool activities. Owners are required to be present during this orientation and all dogs will be required to wear a life jacket until they are confident to swim on their own.

All new clients must pre-register online and a credit card will be placed on file.

All “reserve swims” require pre-payment for reservations. Full refunds are granted if you cancel within 48 hours of scheduled pool time. No-shows forfeit the total cost of the appointment.

Yappy Hour

This annual summer event brings together owners and their fur babies for an evening of eating, drinking and socializing. “Yappy Hour” takes place at different parks around Salt Lake City and showcases local breweries, food trucks and specialty vendors that cater to both pups and their parents.

Over half the space is dedicated to an off-leash area and temporary fences ensure safe containment. Water bowls are provided along with fun activities including pup cups, temporary tattoos, photo ops and live music.

2026 Yappy Hour locations:

June 11th, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Fairmont Park (1040 Sugarmont Dr.)

August 13th, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Cottonwood Park (1600 N. Star Dr.)

October 8th, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Jordan Park (1060 S. 900 West)

This free event is the ultimate way to unwind and enjoy time with your four-legged companion. CW

DID YOU KNOW?

The Beck Street Animal Shelter

Once located at 1031 Beck Street, this Humane Society shelter was the first of its kind in Salt Lake City, providing safe facilities, X-ray equipment, and a special ambulance to tend to injured, abandoned and stray animals. Completed in 1939, it was run by Grace Baum Hyslop (1883-1958), then-president of the local chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Salt Lake Humane Society. The building’s eventual sale in the late 1950s contributed to the funds raised for a modern Humane Society facility in West Valley City during the early ‘60s. Today, the Humane Society of Utah now resides at 4242 S. 300 West in Murray.

One of the many residents of Tracy Aviary.

Culture and craft at the Latino Arts Festival.

FAMILY FROLICS

A list of events to try for every member of the family.

BY CAT PALMER

Families come in all shapes, sizes, and ages— from toddlers taking their first steps and teens seeking adventure to adult children visiting with their parents. There’s no one-size-fits-all guide to family fun, and while local museums, amusement parks, and hikes are easy to find online, sometimes one requires extra inspiration. This guide highlights unique, exciting, and memorable activities across Salt Lake City (and some of its neighboring towns) to help families of all kinds make the most of their time together.

Tumbleweeds Film Festival (April 25)

Lights, camera, imagination! The Tumbleweeds Film Festival, celebrating its 15th year, showcases inspiring films for and by kids, plus a student competition and hands-on workshops. Enjoy free screenings and activities at the Viridian Event Center (8030 S. 1825 West, West Jordan)—a one-day celebration perfect for curious, creative families. tumbleweedskids.org

South Salt Lake Mural Fest (May 9)

South Salt Lake’s Creative Industries Zone is Utah’s largest street art hub, where local and international artists transform warehouses into vibrant murals. Each year, Mural Fest adds new works, making it a colorful, family-friendly place to explore, snap photos, and experience art outside the museum. themuralfest.com

Gilgal Sculpture Garden

Tucked behind the homes at 749 East 500 South, Gilgal Sculpture Garden is like stepping into a secret storybook. Created by Thomas Battersby Child, Jr. (18881963), it features 12 sculptures and 70+ engraved stones with scriptures, poetry, and quotes. Open daily and free of charge, it’s a whimsical, family-friendly spot for curious kids and imaginative adults. gilgalgarden.org

Tracy Aviary

Right in the heart of Liberty Park, Tracy Aviary is an 8-acre oasis where families can get up close with more than 300 birds from around the world—including rare

and endangered species. With interactive bird shows, keeper talks, and even roaming animal encounters, every visit feels a little different. tracyaviary.org

Living Traditions Festival (May 15-17)

Each spring, downtown Salt Lake City hosts the Living Traditions Festival, a vibrant celebration of global cultures. Enjoy traditional music, dance, and cuisine from around the world, sample international dishes, browse handmade crafts, and catch dozens of performances across three stages. saltlakearts.org/programs/livingtraditions-festival

Latino Arts Festival (June 12-14)

Celebrate Latin American culture at the family-friendly Latino Arts Festival at Canyons Village in Park City. Enjoy music, dance, food, and art from 40+ artists and performers, plus the new El Mercadito market with handcrafted goods and treats. Free and open to all, it’s a vibrant way for families to explore and connect. pcscarts.org/latino-arts-festival

Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration (June 19)

Celebrate resilience, joy, and community at the Salt Lake Juneteenth Celebration over at The Gateway (400 W. 200 South). This free, family-friendly event features live music, storytelling, kids’ activities, art, and a Black-Owned Business Expo with food and local vendors. Since Juneteenth is observed on Monday the 15th this year, keep an eye out for additional celebrations across the state! saltlakejuneteenth.org

Millcreek Common

For year-round fun in one spot, Millcreek Common delivers. Winter brings ice skating and cozy bazaars; summer means splash pad laughs, markets, live music, food trucks, bingo nights and a retro skate loop. There’s even a climbing wall for adventurous kids (and adults). Check the website regularly for current events. millcreekcommon.org

Hatch Family Chocolates

For pure neighborhood charm, don’t miss Hatch Family Chocolates (376 E. 8th Ave) and their sweet summer block parties in the Avenues. They shut down the street for live music, community hangs, and occasional outdoor movie nights under the stars. Grab a handmade chocolate or ice cream and settle in with friends and neighbors. hatchfamilychocolates.com

Free Summer Films

Throughout the hot summers, Utah Film Center will be screening flicks indoors with air conditioning at their new location (375 West 400 North). Check out their website for info on summer showings—always free and family friendly! utahfilmcenter.org

Workshop SLC

Get creative at Workshop SLC (153 W. 2100 South), where all ages can explore painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and more—from watercolor and oils to figure drawing and digital art. Many classes welcome drop-ins, but it is preferred that participants register online first. workshopslc.com

Black Island Farms

Step into fall fun at Black Island Farms (2075 S. 4000 West, Syracuse), a Davis County favorite for over 60 years. Enjoy market goodies and café treats, then explore the 8-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch hayrides, giant slides, farm animals, and more. After dark, wander the Spooktacular Lights Trail or brave Nightmare Acres, which includes Zombie Apocalypse Laser Tag. blackislandfarms.com

Luna Lobos Dog Sledding

Operating in Peoa (near Park City), Rancho Luna Lobos (4733 W. Browns Canyon Rd) is a family-owned and operated rescued sled dog kennel that provides a highly personalized, year-round dog sledding and educational experience. lunalobos.com CW

Best of Utah 2025

Best Bowling Alley

Bonwood Bowl

Bonwood Bowl is a local institution. A fixture since 1957, this slice of Americana combines vintage charm and modern affordability that’s perfect for family outings and anyone looking for a casual bowling experience. It also offers 42 lanes, league play and food selections for all ages. What’s not to like? Parking is ample, the facility clean and those shoes that are still warm from the previous occupant come at no extra cost. bonwoodbowl.com

2. Olympus Hills Bowling Lanes

3. Pins & Ales - Draper

Best Pickleball Courts

Second Summit Hard Cider

The folks at Second Summit are all about hard cider, an active lifestyle and community. That’s why they elected to put state-of-the-art, covered pickleball courts on their property at 4010 S. Main Street, and folks can rent one of the four courts for an hour, Monday through Sunday. Give it a shot! secondsummitcider.com

2. 11th Ave Park

3. Holladay City Center

Best Running Trail

Jordan River Parkway

Utah is home to great trails, but there’s nothing else quite like the Jordan River Parkway. Start anywhere along this 40-plus-mile-long Emerald Ribbon and within a 30-minute jog in either direction, you’ll pass through a dynamic mix of concrete jungle and natural wild. Convenient transit connections, secret shortcuts and a chain of neighborhood nodes along the river mean an infinite number of route permutations waiting to be explored in the heart of our population center.

2. Pipeline

3. Friendship Trail

Best Skate Park

Holladay City Skatepark

As Spohn Ranch Skateparks puts it on their website, smart skate park design is democratic, made for riders of all skill levels. That’s why they designed Holladay City Skatepark with a wide variety of obstacles and ramps, from deep bowls to fly down to slappy curbs to slide on. There’s even a sunset-colored bank designed to resemble one of Utah’s thousands of mountains, although this one is infinitely easier to scale. spohnranch.com/portfolio/holladay-skatepark

2. Utah State Fairpark

3. Woodward Park City

Most Overlooked Site/Curiosity

International Peace Gardens

Salt Lake City’s west side boasts a spectacular walkable garden at Jordan Park with statues and markers representing various countries. It’s the perfect place to stroll for free and see flowers in bloom in their season. Also, check out the various events that are open to the public, from poetry and dance to even Japanese tea ceremonies. Enjoy the fusion of botany, history, and folklore all year round at this hidden gem. internationalpeacegardens.org

2. The Spiral Jetty

3. Gilgal Gardens

HAVE YOU STOPPED BY…

Lewis Hills House/Hogar Hotel

Located at 126 S. 200 West, the Hills House was built in the mid-1880s in the High Italianate style, serving as the home of banker Lewis S. Hills (18361915) and his family. Purchased in the ‘20s by John Landa (1894-1975), a prominent Basque advocate in the Intermountain West, it became the Hogar Hotel and functioned as a lodging and cultural center for the local Basque community. It closed in 1977.

FUN AND FANCY FREE

Seven inexpensive Salt Lake activities to try in a pinch.

BY WES LONG

“The best things in life are free,” wrote Buddy DeSylva and Lew Brown for their 1927 hit song. Wise words to follow, though easy to forget in a hypercommercial culture. Whether by personal preference or simply out of necessity, we Salt Lakers would do well to remember that substantive good and uncomplicated fun are always available across our beloved valley if we know where to look. The following activities are but a start in this direction.

Community Gardens

Looking to develop healthy food options? Yearning for some silent time with the soil? Perhaps something simple and satisfying with a loved one? There are multiple local nonprofits collaborating with the Coun-

A wide array of inexpensive amenities are available to Utahns through their local libraries.

ty to establish community gardens across the valley. Look one of them up and see what grows in your neck of the woods. saltlakecounty.gov/parks-recreation/ community-farming/

Free Exhibits

Combine the fun of learning with the affordability that we can all appreciate. Whether checking in on exhibits at Clark Planetarium (110 S. 400 West), the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (20 S. West Temple) and Pioneer Memorial Museum (300 N. Main), or just

catching the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (410 Campus Center Dr.) during free admission days (first Wednesday and third Saturday of each month), you’d do well to avail yourself of their holdings.

Historic Grounds

The Salt Lake Valley has been home to a rich human history for thousands of years. Thankfully, there are numerous ways to admire places of historical value. Architectural jewels like the City & County Building, plus religious centers like Temple Square, the Cathe-

dral of the Madeleine, the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple and the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church all speak for themselves, but there are many other areas of interest to see and learn about. Consider the list of landmark sites that Salt Lake City has compiled or the tour materials prepared by Preservation Utah as an entry. slc.gov/historic-preservation; preservationutah.org

Parks and Playgrounds

When it comes to recreation, few things can compare with a visit to one of the valley’s many park spaces. Offering peace, excitement, natural beauty and constructed play in a single location, they are the respiratory passages that provide vital air to modern living. Salt Lake County keeps a valuable list of the parks within its purview—have you visited them all? saltlakecounty.gov/parks-recreation/parks-trails/all-parks/

Public Art

From the understated to the whimsical, nothing adds a splash of color and a dash of character to our urban landscape quite like the many murals, paintings and sculptures that are found across the valley. Salt Lake County and the Salt Lake City Arts Council keep track of those works that are currently on display and it all makes for a delightful observer’s tour. saltlakepublicart.org/public-art-projects/ saltlakecountyarts.org/art-in-public-places

Salt Lake Libraries

Between the branches of the Salt Lake City Library and those of the Salt Lake County system, Utahns have a vast array of activities and amenities available to them at no cost. From learning labs and storytimes to art and yoga classes (plus so much more), there’s always something taking place on their event calendars. And best of all—unfettered access to countless books! services.slcpl.org; slcolibrary.org

Volunteering

When all is said and done, among the most satisfying—and cost-effective—activities one can do with their spare time is in service to other people. From grand group efforts to small and discreet gestures, lifting someone else and making their lives better is among the most important things one can do. The sites that follow are excellent starting points, but volunteering really can take any form, operate under any schedule, and exist within any budget. userve.utah.gov/volunteer

saltlakecounty.gov/get-involved CW

What does Salt Lake City mean to me?

What I have learned living in Salt Lake City all pertains to involvement. It means that we are included if our involvement encompasses expressing our thoughts for personal and civic improvement and, just as important, listening to others and their life experiences.

The end result can be explosive and one will find their life filled with action to find the best path for a better society. Salt Lake City means caring.

—Nan Weber, Poplar Grove

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: TRAFFIC AND TOWING

How did the latest legislative session change life in Utah?

BY GRACE X. MAYA

The Utah Legislature passed several small bills related to traffic laws during its 2026 session, including SB128, which removes the requirement to use turn signals in roundabouts, including the one directly in front of Capitol Hill.

Drivers found violating school zone speeds will no longer have to shadow a school crossing guard as part of their punishment under HB178. And in a blow to the broadly-hated private tow truck operators, HB 286 places the onus on the tow operators to provide proper notice to vehicle owners.

“Before this bill, there was really no penalty. Someone would come and say, ‘you didn’t give me notice,’ and they [the tow truck operator] could say, ‘sorry, we’re keeping your car,’” bill sponsor Rep. Mark Strong, R-Bluffdale, said before the House.

If a tow company operator does not send a certified letter to the vehicle owner within 48 hours, the vehicle owner will be allowed to repossess their vehicle without paying any fines related to towing or storage.

The bill also creates a presumption of improper notice for tow truck own-

Under a new law, tow operators must provide proper notice to vehicle owners.

ers, meaning courts will side with the vehicle owner unless the tow truck company can provide time-stamped evidence a notice was given.

Drivers that flee the scene of an accident will experience harsher penalties under HB 423. Those with previous DUI or hit-and-run charges will now face a class A misdemeanor, up to 364 days in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Drivers that return to the scene or report themselves to law enforcement within 6 hours will receive lessened penalties during sentencing.

“Every year since 2020, we have averaged over 5,000 hit-and-runs a year,” said bill sponsor Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy.

Under current laws, inebriated drivers that cause an accident and flee the scene are incentivized to do so, as charges for fleeing the scene are less than those for drunk driving. HB 423 aligns hit-and-run charges with DUI code.

“This bill seeks to remedy that issue,” Eliason said. “I think this is a very common-sense change that is many years overdue.” CW

TRYING TRANSIT

Come on in, Salt Lake County, the water is fine.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD

My family became a one-car household in 2020. A confluence of circumstances— including COVID lockdowns, temporary street closures and the stubborn “check engine” light on my aging Subaru Outback—made it clear that I could find better ways to spend $10,000 (the average annual cost of car ownership) than leaving a second vehicle parked in my garage all day.

That’s because I live in the city, I work in the city, I recreate in the city, most of my favorite things are in the city and the vast majority of the trips I take do not require driving.

I am not trapped, as skeptics of so-called “15-minute cities” bafflingly fear. I have more freedom of movement and a higher quality of life than at any other time during my four decades living on the Wasatch Front.

But I’m also not alone. The Utah Transit Authority carries 40 million riders each year, with more daily passengers than the entire population of Provo. And that figure does not include the independent transit districts serving Logan, Park City and St. George.

Transit isn’t the future, it’s the present. As we grow toward the 2034 Olympics, the experience of transit will only improve while the experience of driving only gets worse.

Here’s how to begin using public transportation, so you don’t get left behind.

Step 1—Start With Easy Trips

Every conversation I have with a diehard motorist follows the same pattern: I raise one of the many societal problems attributable to vehicle congestion and they

respond by describing the hypothetical trip that most requires use of a private automobile.

Sure, grandmother’s house is over the river and through the woods, accessible only by car. And sure, it’s a helluva challenge getting an old couch to the landfill by bicycle.

But most people don’t go to grandmother’s house every day, nor to the dump every week—most people go to work, to school, to church, to the grocer and to the pub.

Routine trips are not just possible by transit, they’re downright pleasant. Why fight traffic into downtown, or to the University of Utah, and then spend even more time hunting (and paying) for parking, when you can hand all of that headache to a professional while you clear out your inbox, catch up on a podcast, read or book or take a nap?

Identify the routine destinations that are close to a train station—the Salt Lake International Airport, Gallivan Plaza, Temple Square, Delta Center, etc. Next, find the station closest to you, which likely has free parking nearby. Once you build the habit, you’ll find that your commute goes from a daily nightmare to a daily highlight, especially when it snows.

Step 2—Start With Trains

There’s a reason why it costs so much to build trains— they’re worth every penny. High-frequency passenger rail is the undisputed champion of moving people through urban space, and Utah’s Trax and Frontrunner network is finally hitting critical mass after years of agonizingly slow and incremental progress from our cars-first local governments.

The Red, Blue and Green Trax Lines connect to Daybreak, Draper and West Valley, respectively, with stops everywhere in between. All three lines, plus the S-Line Streetcar to Sugar House, run at 15-minute frequencies Monday through Saturday, and 30 minutes on Sunday. Fare is $2.50, purchasable through kiosks or the Transit app, and Salt Lake City residents qualify for a subsidized Hive Pass at $42 per month.

The Frontrunner regional train runs north to Ogden and south to Provo at a 30-minute frequency during rush hour and 60 minutes the rest of the day. It does not run at all on Sundays. Fare is based on length of trip, but the Hive Pass includes unlimited Frontrunner.

Step 3—Stretch With Bike and Buses

Once you’ve mastered the rails, kick things up a notch by taking a bike onto the train or by using the highfrequency bus network for last-mile connections.

Buses are intimidating. Unlike trains, bus riders must interact with an operator while boarding and there’s no rails on the ground to confirm where the route is headed. Combine that with the dizzying overload of UTA’s bus maps and it can be legitimately daunting for the uninitiated.

But the only real buses are those with 15-minute headways, recently branded as “Go Routes” to boost their visibility. Focusing there reduces the noise to just Route 1 (South Temple to the U), Route 2 (200 South to the U), Route 9 (900 South to the U), Route 21 (2100 South to the U), Route 33 (3300 South, east side), Route 35 (3500 South, west side), Route 200 (State Street) and Route 217 (Redwood Road). CW

A Trax train on Main Street

TAKE A DEEP BREATH

A beginner’s guide to air quality in Salt Lake City.

BY GRACE X. MAYA

From the newest of Midwest transplants to the oldest of pioneer families, the Salt Lake Valley’s notoriously poor air quality becomes a more frequent topic of discussion with each passing year. While old-timers may think of winter inversions as an annoying but temporary occurrence, the health risks continue to mount. In severe cases, they can even be fatal. Understanding the dangers is the first step toward breathing easy.

Overt Inversions, Insidious Summers

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality defines an inversion as cold air trapped beneath a layer of warmer air, snaring pollutants within the immobile lower layer. The longer the inversion, the longer pollutants accumulate.

“Inversions are first recognized by the visible buildup of fog and air pollution at the lower parts of the valley, usually associated with regional high pressure during the winter months,” said Bryce Bird, director of the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) at Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality. “The use of the UtahAir app or air.utah.gov provides the current conditions along with a three-day forecast of air quality conditions.”

The Salt Lake Valley—contained on all sides by the Wasatch, Oquirrh and Traverse Mountain ranges—is uniquely situated to amplify inversion conditions. Precipitation and strong winds are key factors in dispersing the cool air, meaning that dry and warm winters (not unlike this year’s) are likely to prolong air pollutant build-up. The most dangerous inhalable pollutants— known as ultrafine particulate matter or P.M. 2.5—can come from vehicle emissions, dust or smoke.

DAQ runs their own app and website tracking air quality across the valley, aligned with the Environmental Protection Agency’s color-coded air quality index.

“At the level of ‘Red’ or Unhealthy on the Air Quality Index, even healthy adults are encouraged to reduce prolonged or heavy exertion,” Bird said. “At the ‘Brown’ level of Hazardous on Air Quality Index, everyone should avoid all physical activities outdoors.”

Unfortunately, it’s no longer just winters that pose risks. Dry winters often make for dry summers. Paired with increased summer temperatures, the state is increasingly susceptible to wildfires and ozone spikes.

Fires remain more prevalent in dryer Southern Utah, but Salt Lake City has also experienced an uptick. A 2025 September wildfire nearly reached the University of Utah, burning almost 100 acres of foothill brush before containment. Foothills residents have been dropped from insurance policies due to fire risk and Upper Avenues residents routinely ask the Salt Lake City Council for increased fire prevention funding.

Not unlike vehicle emissions, smoke and ash can produce P.M. 2.5 while high ozone exposure creates smog, also damaging lungs.

“Ozone is currently the largest challenge that we have with meeting the federal air quality standards,” Bird said. “Because ozone peaks on hot, sunny summer afternoons and is colorless and odorless, it is difficult for the public to understand the potential health impacts.”

Choking Hazards

While some residents report headaches and sore throats in times of poor air quality, the risks of prolonged exposure can be much more severe.

University of Utah doctor and researcher Robert C. Rennert specializes in vascular neurosurgery. Among other things, he focuses on the treatment of intracranial ruptures and aneurysms, which are acutely fatal roughly a third of the time and lead to severe neurological injury in another third of patients. In his own patients, Rennert discovered linkage between those aneurysms and high exposure to P.M. 2.5.

“There have been a few studies that showed no association between air pollution exposure and bleeding risk from aneurysms,” Rennert said, “but they only looked at a very short time window. We were the first to look at an expanded time window of about three to six months, and the correlation seems to be strong.”

Rennert continues to research the correlation between very poor air quality and delayed aneurysms, and cited a 2020 paper by researcher Ioannis Manisalidis linking exposure to such ailments as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, bronchiolitis and lung cancer.

While intracranial ruptures are exceptionally rare, the documented negative health impacts lead Rennert to adjust his own behavior in times of poor air quality.

“We have an infant at home,” Rennert explained. “We have air filters we use throughout the year but

“While

old-timers may think of winter inversions as an annoying but temporary occurrence, the health risks continue to mount.”

when air quality is exceptionally poor, we try to limit her exposure by not going on walks outside. It’s an unfortunate reality of living here.”

Clearing the Air

Residents are encouraged to participate in UCAIR, a Utah clean air non-profit that educates residents on how to improve local air quality. Key suggestions involve limiting vehicle emissions via carpooling, telework and public transit. UCAIR also offers grants to organizations that wish to reduce pollutants.

In part, those efforts led Salt Lake City and Provo to reach compliance with the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS in December of 2025. The standard is based on the presence of ultrafine particulate pollutants.

“This is a huge accomplishment for the state, and ensures cleaner air during wintertime inversion periods on the Wasatch Front,” Bird said.

Still, some detriments to air quality are unavoidable. Bird listed growth as the greatest environmental threat to Salt Lake City.

“All emissions are associated with human activities,” Bird said. “Although we have seen improvements in winter air quality that allowed the state to be redesignated to ‘attainment,’ the significant anticipated growth in households, vehicles and the providing of goods and services will overcome our current strategies over time. New focused efforts need to continue to identify technology innovations to continue to make progress on air quality.”

Dr. Rennert concurred.

“Until something is done to change the output of pollutants, it’ll probably stay the same,” Rennert said. “The cyclical exposures that we have to poor air has definite negative effects on human health. Pulmonary, pneumonias, infections—it’s been linked to cancers. Basically, everywhere people have looked for associations with air pollution exposure, they’ve found negative associations regarding human health.” CW

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: MARIJUANA

How did the latest Legislative session change life in Utah?

BY GRACE X. MAYA

While the state Legislature made no moves towards recreational marijuana legalization (or decriminalization) they did amend several aspects of medical marijuana usage and drug testing.

Starting May 6, medical marijuana users will pay an additional tax to the Department of Health and Human Services to fund regulatory processes under HB389. The bill also amends several cannabis laws aimed at easing restrictions for marijuana retailers by removing surveillance cameras and consolidation enforcement and allowing for the sale of “Low THC products,” defined as 0.3% or less THC by weight.

Bill sponsor Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, D-Salt Lake City, spoke before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee alongside Dr. Brandon Forsyth of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

“We want to make sure those low THC products are available in the pharmacy so that patients don’t have to get only high THC products,” Dailey-Provost said.

“These products are very popular in pharmacies, and they’re the ones we should be encouraging patients to take,” Forsyth added. “They’re not the ones that tend to get people high, they’re really just used for treatment.”

Local government entities and institutions of higher education are now able to use saliva tests for drug testing under HB246

“Oral fluid is widely used today,” Rep. Cory Maloy, R-Lehi, said in a pre -

Several aspects of medical marijuana usage will change under new Utah laws.

sentation before the Senate Education Committee. “It’s less invasive. It’ll make it a lot easier for these offices to do the testing they want to do.”

Oral fluid detects drug use within a smaller time window (up to 48 hours) compared to urine testing (up to 4 days) or hair testing (approximately 3 months).

Medical marijuana labels will get a lot more boring under SB121, which bans the use of terms like “hash,” “dank” or “420” in an attempt to ensure children are not tempted by packaging, sometimes mistaken for candy.

The same bill will allow the guardians of a mentally incapacitated adult to seek medical marijuana cards for their dependents. Medical marijuana has been studied for use in symptom management of individuals with degenerative diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s. Medical research also suggests benefits to those with intellectual disabilities such as Down Syndrome and severe autism.

“Our program is becoming more mature and efficient,” said sponsoring Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City. “It’s a process we’ve gone through with stakeholders to try to find a way to provide efficient products to patients that cost less.” CW

TAKE A MEETING

A snappy Salt Laker’s

summary

to meeting their democratic obligations.

BY BRYAN YOUNG

The best way to know what’s going on in Salt Lake City—and the County—is by attending the municipal meetings that are held across the valley. They decide how our city is managed and run throughout the year and can have long-lasting effects on everything from sewer rates and bike lanes to hiking trails and road maintenance. Public comment is usually limited during these meetings, but there are other ways to have your voice heard as well.

Salt Lake City Council

Held on most Tuesday evenings, attendees can join online or in person at the historic City & County Building (451 S. State) at 7:00 p.m. Agendas can be found at slcgov.com/council, as well as links to the online meeting and space for comment cards.

Participants are allowed to speak on any individual issue within the agenda for up to two minutes. If a particular issue isn’t on the agenda, a general comment session is typically held at the end of the meeting—but you still have to fill out a comment card and get it to council staff.

Best Practices: Understand that you only get two minutes and then your time is up. Try to raise a new point on the topic that other speakers haven’t already addressed. Don’t get personal or vulgar. The best comments tend to be those that don’t ask for a halt to the process, but those that ask for reasonable accommodations or small modifications.

Clapping or shows of support from the audience during others’ remarks are frowned upon and can even backfire on one’s own position. The City Council works hard to maintain a neutral place where all points of view can be recognized; if a large group comes in and hoots and hollers to support their point, it has a chilling effect on those with opposite points of view.

Council Work Sessions: Though there are no public comments during council work sessions, the public can still watch these gatherings, which are typically held prior to a formal meeting. This is where council members receive presentations on upcoming votes and issues.

It’s a master class of civic issues affecting the city’s taxpayers and well worth the time of anyone looking to learn more about the inner workings of Salt Lake City government.

Salt Lake City Planning Commission

Held on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month (with exceptions) at 5:30 p.m. at the City & County Building, the Planning Commission makes recommendations to the City Council about zoning, planning amendments, and changes to ordinances relating to those topics.

Best Practices: Public Planning Commission meetings can get contentious when it involves a potential high-rise in the neighborhood, or when a company like Walmart tries to move in. The rules for speaking before the commission are largely the same as the City Council, but with the exception that representatives of recognized community organizations—like neighborhood community councils—get five minutes to speak. Anyone can submit written comments as well, either in person or in advance.

Historic Landmark Commission

This body typically meets (with some exceptions) on the first Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at the City & County Building. They vote on potential alterations to designated historic buildings, on requested teardowns, or if a building is a contributing structure to the historic nature of a neighborhood. These are important meetings because too often, such conversations occur only between city officials and developers, even though they affect the many cool and fragile structures that make Salt Lake City great. The commission’s rules for comments, whether spoken or written, mirror those of the city Planning Commission.

Salt Lake County Council

Like those of Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake County Council meets on most Tuesdays, but theirs are held at varying times over at the Government Center at 2001 S. State Street. Residents can also watch online at SaltLakeCounty.gov/Council/Agendas-minutes.

At the beginning of each meeting, they have a specific “public comment” item that allows residents, whether in person or online, to speak their mind to the

“The City Council works hard to maintain a neutral place where all points of view can be recognized.”

council for 2-3 minutes at the managing discretion of the council chair.

A Word to the Wise

The thing to know about all of these meetings is that by the time you’re commenting, most of the work has already been done and many of the decisions have been made. The best time to engage with a local topic is well before the public comment session!

After all, official outreach takes place prior to the meeting and often goes unheeded. Remember that postcard or flyer posted to your door months ago asking for your opinion? Or that email for input? Or that invitation to the public open house? Too many people ignore those.

The folks that show up are the ones who shape the project. Then, when shovels hit the dirt, everyone notices and angrily insists that they “weren’t told about it.” It’s hard for the folks in government to have sympathy when they know that’s just our apathy showing. Citizens too often refuse to pay attention until it directly affects them, only then wanting a say after the ball has rolled too far down the hill.

Email your councilperson directly and stay in contact with them. They have staff to keep you informed and to keep your input flowing to them. Salt Lake City also has Shape.SLC.gov, which offers rotating surveys and information about pending projects occurring throughout the city to capture input.

Salt Lakers never have to be the person who looks like an uninformed jackass, angry about a project happening that they “didn’t hear about.” Our municipal governments try really hard to inform us.

We just have to pay attention. CW

MAKING IT OFFICIAL

Get to know your local leaders.

BY WES LONG

In keeping with the basic rules of democracy—stay informed and get involved—it’s essential to have an idea of who has been elected to represent one’s interests within varying venues. While the identities of our respective state lawmakers can can be discovered at le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp and our federal ones at congress.gov, it is the local officials with whom we’d do well to become best acquainted. Get to know these people, then, and keep the lines of communication open. You’re just as much their eyes on the ground as they are ours, after all! CW

SALT LAKE CITY COUNCIL

SALT LAKE COUNTY COUNCIL

Victoria Petro (District 1): victoria.petro@slc.gov

Alejandro Puy (District 2): alejandro.puy@slc.gov

Chris Wharton (District 3): chris.wharton@slc.gov

Eva Lopez Chavez (District 4): eva.lopezchavez@slc.gov

Erika Carlsen (District 5): erika.carlsen@slc.gov

Dan Dugan (District 6): dan.dugan@slc.gov

Sarah Young (District 7): sarah.young@slc.gov

Laurie Stringham (At-Large A): LLStringham@saltlakecounty.gov

Suzanne Harrison (At-Large B): SuHarrison@saltlakecounty.gov

Natalie Pinkney (At-Large C): NPinkney@saltlakecounty.gov

Jiro Johnson (District 1): JiJohnson@saltlakecounty.gov

Carlos A. Moreno (District 2): CarlosMoreno@saltlakecounty.gov

Aimee Winder Newton (District 3): ANewton@saltlakecounty.gov

Ross Romero (District 4): RRomero@saltlakecounty.gov

Sheldon Stewart (District 5): SStewart@saltlakecounty.gov

Dea Theodore (District 6): DHTheodore@saltlakecounty.gov

A new law establishes optional electronic identity records for Utahns.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: DIGITAL IDENTITIES

How did the latest legislative session change life in Utah?

BY GRACE X. MAYA

In a trend already endorsed by neighboring states like Colorado and Montana, digital identities are coming to Utah. SB275 creates the new State-Endorsed Digital Identity Program (SEDI), tasked with creating optional electronic identity records for state residents. These digital IDs may be used as drivers licenses, at Department of Alcoholic Beverage Service stores and hospitals, or as a means of identifying oneself to state and local law enforcement.

In an October 2025 presentation, the Utah Department of Government Operations said, “Above all, SEDI is a rights-first, decentralized identity model that will empower individuals and families to control their data and privacy, protect children from digital exploitation, and safeguard democratic trust.”

While critics have characterized the digital ID movement as a blow against online privacy, Utah’s digital bill of rights insists “an individual has a right to be free from surveillance, profiling, tracking, or persistent monitoring of the individual’s assertions of digital identity by the state, except as authorized by law.” That, in part with the program’s voluntary nature, has led to an endorsement from the ACLU.

“There are many details to be worked out, and we may have disagreements with a final product,” ACLU senior policy analyst Jay Stanley wrote in a newsletter. “Nevertheless, Utah is serious about privacy.”

In response to what the legislature called an “unprecedented mental health crisis” among minors, SB73 enacts age verification requirements for websites with adult content. $4 million in appropriated funding grants the Division of Consumer Protection authority to enforce age verification requirements and fine organizations found in violation. The fines, as high as $2,500 for each instance of a minor accessing adult content, go into effect in May. The bill also imposes a 2% “sin tax” on sites in compliance.

“This is well in line with Utah’s overall desire to protect children,” said Katie Hass, director of the Division of Consumer Protection. “Our goal is to prevent kids from getting on to these platforms and entering the rabbit hole of pornography viewing and addiction.”

The bill comes after 2024’s Utah Minor Protection in Social Media Act, which required social media apps to verify if a user was under 18, and enacted parental controls and limited functions like infinite scroll for minors. That law is currently in limbo due to a free speech lawsuit by NetChoice, a trade association that includes TikTok, Meta and YouTube.

Previous age verification laws have led some pornography sites including those under Aylo, a conglomerate including sites like RedTube, to cease operations in Utah. It is possible that additional sites will adjust operations in Utah in response to the fines or tax.

“I hope adults will understand why this is necessary,” Hass said. CW

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: SIGNATURE GATHERING

How did the latest Legislative session change life in Utah?

BY GRACE X. MAYA

The nationally-publicized fight against Utah gerrymandering expanded into the 2026 legislative session with two new signaturegathering bills. Following a push to remove signatures from the Independent Redistricting Commission and Standards Act Direct Initiative (a Republican-led attempt to repeal Proposition 4), HB242 now regulates the behavior of those collecting signatures by imposing identification requirements and minimum wages for paid workers.

The bill also disallows residents from removing their names from a petition they previously signed via pre-paid postage, meaning residents will not be able to use resources provided by advocacy organizations. It was signed into law one hour prior to the legislative session’s end with an immediate effective date.

“The law is not the same for paid signature gatherers as it is for people paid to remove signatures,” said sponsor Karen M. Peterson, R-Clinton. “All this bill does is make the rules exactly the same.”

Peterson claimed the bill was in response to an overturned local ballot initiative regarding a housing development in her district, but the bill will more immediately impact the battle against state-level gerrymandering.

Two notable bills around signature gathering were passed this year.

While the campaign to repeal Proposition 4 initially gathered roughly 160,000 verified signatures 20,000 more than the required 140,000 threshold to appear on the ballot next November—a large number of rescissions led to the repeal effort falling short of qualifying in the required number of Utah Senate districts. As a result, voters will not be asked whether to repeal the state’s anti-gerrymandering law.

Organizations like Protect Utah Voters had created online tools to help Utahns remove their names from the confusingly-explained repeal petition, but will now be restricted from aiding in those removals, which require a handwritten signature mailed to the County Clerk.

In an attempt to prevent confusion on future ballot initiatives, HB32 requires the city clerk in charge of signature verification to send an email and text message notice to the signer of the petition, notifying the signer of the status of their signature. The bill also enforces the use of clear language both in ballot initiative text and by signature gatherers.

The bill comes after allegations of fraudulent signature gathering in the most recent ballot push to repeal the anti-gerrymandering Proposition 4 ballot initiative. Some residents allege they were given blatantly false or intentionally misleading information on the more recent ballot initiative, while others claim they discovered their names listed on the petition although they did not remember signing. CW

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THROUGH THE STATIC

Demystifying Utah’s public television and radio stations.

BY CONNOR SANDERS

The spirit of collective action that Utah was founded on continues to shine in the state’s rich landscape of public media outlets.

These stations couldn’t exist without the hard work of scores of journalists, producers, radio hosts, DJs and many more contributors who bring life and awareness to the people of Utah each day, and at no cost.

They march on, despite major cuts to federal funding that led to the dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—a congressionally mandated nonprofit organization that had overseen federal investments in public broadcasting since 1967—at the start of 2026.

The public responded with “eight to 10 days of tremendous financial support,” Juliana Allely, president and general manager of KPCW, told City Weekly after the federal rescission.

Now that right there is Industry (with a capital I). It’s the Utah way.

These nonprofit television and radio stations deserve the support. Not only do they provide round-theclock programming free of charge, they host festivals, concerts, and other events that provide the foundation for Utah’s news, arts and music scenes.

Here is your guide to public media in Utah, looking first at the TV stations before turning the dial over to FM radio.

Television

PBS Utah: KUED Channel 7 is the only channel of its kind in the Utah market. It broadcasts classic, practical programming—including the governor’s monthly news conference—alongside feature series, as well

as talk shows and documentaries on Utah culture, like the travel show “This Is Utah” and “Roots, Race & Culture,” which focused on the BIPOC perspective in Utah. pbsutah.org

Utah Education Network: For more than 30 years, UEN-TV Channel 9 has provided educational programming throughout the state. Previously, the station curated their broadcast schedule with local and national programs for kids. However, because of recent funding reductions, UEN-TV now broadcasts First Nations Experience programming—content devoted to the Native American experience—“for a short period,” its website states. uen.org

Radio

KPCW: Primarily serving Summit and Wasatch counties, KPCW broadcasts local news, entertainment and emergency alerts and is a chartered member of National Public Radio. Their programs cover topics such as finance and science/technology, as well as local storytelling and musical performances. Listen on 91.7, 88.1, or 91.9 FM depending on where you’re at in the state, or online at kpcw.org.

KRCL: KRCL is a member-supported, community radio station providing a mix of music and community information to listeners across the Wasatch Front and Back. A core value of the station is to “champion Utah,” its website states, playing at least one track by a Utah artist every hour. Listen online at krcl.org or on the radio at 90.9 FM.

KUAA: A low-powered station based in Salt Lake City, KUAA 99.9 FM is an extension of the Utah Arts Alliance. KUAA plays music from a wide range of

genres and languages, with the goal of “connecting people one song at a time,” according to its website. Listen online at kuaafm.org.

KUER: A charter member of NPR, KUER 90.1 FM broadcasts from the University of Utah. The station hosts a robust in-house newsroom, highlighting local stories alongside a mix of NPR, the BBC and local news to thousands of listeners throughout Utah. You can listen on kuer.org, or via their mobile app.

Utah Public Radio: Based out of Utah State University in Logan, Utah Public Radio broadcasts news, information and cultural programming 24 hours a day. UPR broadcasts on a variety of frequencies throughout the state, though you can always listen online at upr.org. Commencing operation in 1953 off of a student radio station founded three years prior, UPR is Utah’s oldest noncommercial, educational radio service. CW

HAVE YOU STOPPED BY…

The Urban Indian Center

Standing at 120 W. 1300 South, the Urban Indian Center has been providing cultural and health resources for Native American communities since its opening in 1974. Developed by a conglomeration of local Native American groups and elected Utah officials, it has been the site of powwows, wellness initiatives, elders’ programs, primary care, community recreation, and youth education. uicsl.org