Salt Lake Picks

written by: Ashley Szanter and Christie Marcy

Music:

Few film scores are as recognizable as that of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Utah Symphony will undertake the epic John Williams score while the equally epic movie screens behind them as part of their Film in Concert series. Leave your bullwhip at home.

Sept. 7, Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, SLC, 801-355-2787, arttix.org

If you’ve never witnessed the spectacle of a George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic show, you aren’t living your best life. Clinton no longer has dreads and he sits through most of the show, but the stage is alive with a legendary cast of P-Funk characters, and the crowd moves, too. Follow the advice of a Parliament album and free your mind—and the rest will follow.

Oct. 31, The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, SLC, 801-467-8499, smithstix.com

Bob Schneider defies labeling—he’s a little bit pop, hip-hop, punk and a touch of folk. Schneider’s been on the Austin music scene for years. At the risk of being trite, he’s probably the best artist you’ve never heard of. You can fix that, and you should.

Oct. 20, The State Room, 638 S. State St., SLC, 801-596-3560, thestateroom.com

Riot grrls rejoice. The role model of your adolescent angst, Ani DiFranco, is headed back to Salt Lake. Though she’s mellowed with age (haven’t we all?), this may not be the more touchy-feely DiFranco of late. After all, when she played The Depot last fall, it was part of her “Vote Dammit” initiative in support of progressive candidates and, well, you know how that ended.

Nov. 4, Eccles Theater, 131 Main St., SLC, 801-355-2787, arttix.org

Whether you call it alt-country, country rock, roots music, or—as Gram Parsons called it—cosmic American music, Chris Hillman, a former member of the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, is a legend in the genre. The guitarist and singer-songwriter is touring with other musical pioneers Herb Pederson and John Jorgensen and stopping for a short residency in Park City.

Oct. 26-28, The Egyptian Theater, 328 Main St., PC, 435-649-9371, egyptiantheatrecompany.org

It’s been a while since country music has seen a redemptive arc quite like Jason Isbell’s. The former Drive-By Trucker went solo, went to rehab and became the voice of the new Americana along the way. His heartfelt lyrics, killer guitar licks and down-home charm are all part of the package.

Sept. 8, Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, SLC, 801-585-0556, ticketfly.com

Theater:

If you’re looking for a way to recapture the ‘50s Hollywood glamour of Leslie Caron and Gene Kelly, look no further than the Tony Award-winning An American in Paris: A New Musical stopping in Salt Lake City on its first national tour.

Oct. 10-15, Eccles Theater, 131 Main St., SLC, 801-355-5502, Broadway-at-the-Eccles.com

Outdoors:

Give summer a laid-back goodbye. Thanksgiving Point’s Labor Day Luau will transport you to the Hawaiian Islands for an evening of food, fun and a window into Polynesian culture.

Sept. 4, Thanksgiving Point, 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi, 801-768-2300, thanksgivingpoint.org

Keep your eyes out for unicorns and powder clouds during The Color Run’s 5K in Salt Lake City. Oct. 14, Utah State Fair Park, 155 N. 1000 West, SLC,thecolorrun.com/locations/salt-lake-city/thecolorrun.com/locations/salt-lake-city/

Celebrate the “best peaches in Utah” with an outing to Brigham City. Peach Days is a small-town tradition complete with a car show, a 10k race and the Peach Days Parade led by the Junior Peach Queen.

September 6-9, 6 N. Main, Brigham City, 435-723-3931, boxelderchamber.com/peach-days

Dance:

Hop on a magic carpet to the Capitol Theater to see Ballet West’s Aladdin, featuring dancers from both Ballet West II and Ballet West Academy. You’ll be enchanted by adventure, romance and comedy.

Oct. 19-22, Capitol Theater, 50 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-869-6920, balletwest.org

Do away with awkward dance memories and dive into a new cultural experience. Learning Scandinavian Folk Dance will immerse you in the music and dance traditions of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

Wednesdays, Sept. 6-27, E.W. Garbett Center, 700 N 200 W, SLC, 801-703-6736, saltlakescandidance.org

Food/Drink:

Do you know where your food comes from?  Talk to local chefs, farmers and food artisans before experiencing a five-course Farm to Table Culinary Expedition at Snowbasin Resort.

Sept. 22, Snowbasin Resort, 3925 E. Snowbasin Rd., Huntsville, 801-620-1021, snowbasin.com/events

Frights, Spooks and Treats for Halloween Fun

Trick-or-treating can be dangerous—if only because of the unhealthy amount of corn syrup, sugar and artificial flavorings you’ll ingest. Why not replace it with a healthy Halloween experience guaranteed to increase your heart rate and burn some calories?

Pedal Provo Ghost Tours leads cyclists around the Provo City Cemetery while tour guides spin spooky stories.

Through Oct. 13, Provo City Cemetery, 610 S. State St., Provo, 385-321-0456, pedalprovo.com

Enjoy the Halloween season and support local Riverton High School by attending Scarodeo. Bring the kids, dress up in your favorite costumes and keep an eye out for The Great Pumpkin!

Oct. 24, Riverton City Park, 1450 W. 12800 South, Riverton, 801-254-0704, rivertoncity.com

You might already be yearning for Christmas and the food, family and fun that it brings. Before switching out your home decor, immerse yourself in both holidays with Utah Symphony’s Disney in Concert: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Oct. 24, Abravanel Hall, 23 W. South Temple, SLC, 801-533-6683, artsaltlake.org/events/

Halloween is a holiday meant for the whole family and Monster Block Party has something for all ages: costumes contests, trick-or-treating, live performances and even a pumpkin drop!

Oct. 28, The Gallivan Center, 239 South Main Street, SLC, slcgov.com/slcevents/slc-events-monster-block-party

Leave the screams at home but don’t forget to bring your laughs. Stuck haunting The Off-Broadway Theater, Forever Dead follows four classic monsters as they try to sing their way out of purgatory.

Sept. 29 to Nov. 4, The Off Broadway Theater, 272 S. Main, SLC, 801-355-4628, theobt.org

Everyone knows Utah is the nation’s nerdiest state, and the success of Salt Lake Comic Con proves it. Dust off  your cos and head to the second biggest fan convention in the U.S. Sept. 21-23, Salt Palace, 100 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-953-1967, saltlakecomiccon.com

See more inside our 2017 September/October Issue.

Ashley Szanter
Ashley Szanterhttps://www.saltlakemagazine.com/
Ashley Szanter is a contributing writer for Salt Lake magazine as well as a freelance writer and editor. She loves writing about everything Utah, but has a special interest in Northern Utah (here's looking at you, Ogden and Logan).

Similar Articles

Most Popular