City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047
Midvale Monthly with Mayor Gettel
Why I Love Harvest Days
There’s a week every summer when Midvale comes alive in the best way possible. The music gets a little louder, the nights get a little longer, and the smiles stretch just a little wider. That week is Harvest Days, and in 2025, we’re celebrating from July 28 through August 2
It’s not just a city festival, it’s a homegrown celebration of everything that makes Midvale, Midvale. It’s the feeling of belonging, of waving to a neighbor, sharing a snow cone with your kid, or dancing under the lights at the park. It’s a week lled with moments big and small that remind us why we love this city.
Let me walk you through what’s in store.
Monday & Tuesday, July 28–29
Neighborhood Block Parties
We start the week where all good things begin ... at home. Block parties are back, and they’re better than ever. These evenings are some of my personal favorites, just lawn chairs, laughter, and the kind of conversations that only happen when you nally slow down and wave to your neighbor across the street. Whether you’re a longtime Midvale resident or the new family on the block, this is your chance to connect.
Want to host one? Visit EngageMidvale.com/2025-harvest-days
Wednesday, July 30
Midvale Arts Council’s Hall of Honors & Art Show
This night is all about celebrating the people and creativity that shape our city. The Hall of Honors recognizes residents who’ve made lasting contributions to Midvale, those who serve quietly, lead boldly, and leave a legacy. Right alongside it, the Art Show features work from our incredibly talented local artists. From watercolor and photography to sculpture and mixed media, it’s a gallery of community pride, and it’s all free to enjoy.
Thursday, July 31
Tyler Library Game Night
What do you get when you mix lawn games, video games, board games, and DIY fun? A night at the Tyler Library! This event is laidback and family-friendly, perfect for a low-key summer evening with your favorite people.
Friday, August 1
Concert in the Park | 7:00 p.m.
Nothing says summer like music in the park. Spread out a blanket at Midvale City Park and enjoy live performances presented by the Midvale Arts Council. It’s the perfect way to ease into the weekend and gear up for Saturday’s big celebration.
Saturday, August 2: The Big Day
From sunrise to reworks, Saturday is Harvest Days at its fullest, and I can’t wait.
• Fun Run | 7:00 a.m.
Start your morning with a one-mile loop around the park. Whether you run, walk, or cheer from the sidelines, it’s a great way to kick o the day. Register at EngageMidvale.com.
• Parade | 9:00 a.m.
Our Harvest Days Parade is a tradition that spans more than 80 years. Floats, dancers, marching bands, and of course, candy. Lots of candy. This is community pride in motion.
• Festival | 3:00–10:00 p.m.
Midvale City Park will be transformed into a full-blown festival:
Delicious food trucks
Local vendor booths
Live music from The Dance Doctors and Rumba Libre
Children’s Entrepreneur Market (back by popular demand!)
FREE Bingo (a Midvale favorite, with prizes!)
Fun games led by Hillcrest High athletes
• Fireworks | 10:00 p.m.
Bring your blanket, nd your favorite spot, and watch the night sky explode in color. It’s a beautiful ending to a week that always reminds me how lucky we are to live here.
Harvest Days isn’t just an event. It’s a re ection of who we are: a city that celebrates its people, its diversity, and its heart. I love Midvale. And I love seeing it shine during this incredible week. I hope to see you there, at the block parties, the art show, the parade, and somewhere in the middle of the park, smiling and soaking it all in.
Visit EngageMidvale.com/2025-harvest-days for the full schedule and more details. Let’s celebrate Midvale together.
In The Middle of Everything
Meet the Midvale Main Art House Artists: Shantelle Sommers
“Art is anything you can get away with,” — Shantelle Sommers, professionally known as “Telli,” says, “Everything can be art—it just depends on how you look at it…and how open you are to what it is.”
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Meet Bryton Mecham, Utilities and Water Quality Administrator
Telli is one of the resident artists at the Midvale Main Art House, but she didn’t expect life to take her there. She grew up drawing alongside her older sister but never saw herself as an artist. “I was the sporty one. My sister was the artsy one,” Telli re ects.
When Telli was 15, she turned to art to cope with the stress and trauma in her life at the time. “I didn’t have a goal; I just painted to get my mind o things that were going on in my life. I never took it very seriously.”
She later took high school classes in drawing, painting and photography. These courses helped her develop general composition and execution skills as she found her way into watercolors and kept a sketchbook. Even though she spent a lot of time exploring art, she told herself, “I’m not artsy or creative.”
During the COVID-19 shutdown, she turned to journaling to process her life experiences and found herself writing about her desire to create. When she met Ash Amos, a fellow Art House artist, in 2023, he stoked her creative re. “He was super encouraging about trying new things,” she says. “I watched him paint for a while and thought, ‘I think I can try some acrylic.’ I didn’t even have brushes; I used paint and palette knives.”
From there, she began vending her art at festivals and built her con dence to the point where she felt ready to share her work and pursue art full-time.
As a resident artist at the Art House, she uses the space to create like never before. She upcycles clothing, from cotton to faux fur to leather, and jewelry, granting new life to old textiles. She also works with acrylics and watercolors, with the occasional mural project.
At the Art House, you can take painting workshops with her, where you’ll nd an emphasis on play and exploration. When it come s to adults and art, there is an unfortunate inhibition that prevents them from trying new things. “I really like to encourage healthy habits and hobbies,” she says. “Art can be healing for everybody. Once you get into adulthood you can be so judgmental of yourself.”
New City Engineer Takes a Seat
Branden Anderson is the new City Engineer for Midvale. His career as a civil engineer has taken him through transportation engineering in Wyoming and Utah. “I’ve worked in the transportation engineering industry, and public service has been something I’ve enjoyed,” Anderson says. “While not everybody sees the work performed, it is rewarding.”
Engineering for a city means stormwater plans, development plans, and capital projects: aka, making sure the math is correct, and the chemistry is stable when putting in pipes and roads. If engineering doesn’t do its job, the whole city crumbles, guratively and literally.
Usually, when you notice city engineering it’s when there’s a problem or construction. Blockades can be annoying, but “there’s been a lot of thought put into those designs, from planning and engineering,” Anderson says. “To get a better solution than what we currently have.”
Even if the change seems to be xing something that isn’t broken, it means something better is on its way. “A lot of what we do is maintaining what we already have,” Anderson says. “Something will break if we don’t maintain it.” And xes are a lot more expensive than upkeep.
Engineering is the part of the city infrastructure that is looking ahead, planning for the future.
Next time you see someone working on, or under, the streets, ask yourself “What are they trying to do in the bigger picture to improve my safety and services for the long term, and for a community as a whole,” Anderson suggests.
That is Anderson’s role—to make sure that Midvale’s roads, pipes and everything in between are cared for to keep life smooth for everyone who lives, works and plays in our city.
“I make sure people don’t get sick when drinking Midvale’s water.” His o cial title is Utilities and Water Quality Administrator, but what it really means is he does whatever it takes to make sure the water is safe and clean.
Think about this: If your water stops coming out of the tap, what do you do next? Panic? Run to the store for bottled water? How will you boil pasta for dinner? How will you wash your dishes? Shower? What about that load of dirty laundry?
Mecham’s job is to make sure you never need to worry about those things. There are 40 access points to underground pipes around the city. Each week, a water sample is collected from 10 of those sites and is submitted to a local lab for testing. They look for excess chemicals, or harmful bacteria that would signal a problem somewhere down the line.
Not only does the water need frequent testing, but the pipes that feed the water throughout the city need maintenance and repair. Broken pipes means residents and businesses lose water access, or worse, cause contamination.
How do you know if the water you are using is safe? Simple: If it weren’t, Mecham would be the rst to let the city, and the residents, know. Keeping Midvale’s water safe and clean is more than just a job for Mecham—it’s something he takes pride in every day. “I want to make sure I do the best I possibly can and make sure our residents have clean water,” he says. I pride myself in knowing that Midvale has safe and clean drinking water.”
Thanks to Mecham and the Public Works Water Division, safe and clean water is something Midvale residents and businesses can count on every day. It’s easy to take that tap for granted, but behind every glass of water, fresh laundry and morning shower is a system carefully maintained.
