Contrary to popular belief, for those of us who live in the mountains around Park City, our lives don’t fully revolve around adrenaline, thrills and enjoying nature with our dogs. We also like to feed our hearts, souls, and minds. The recent opening of our brand-new Salt Lake City International Airport clearly solidified our positioning as the mountain town with the most superb airport access, yet I’d venture to say we also have the most diverse cultural offerings of any community at elevation. This is due to Park City’s passionate population which prioritizes arts & culture as well as our proximity to Salt Lake City with all its diverse cultural offerings.
Arts Council | Park City & Summit County
Park City has a very active arts culture. Founded in 1986, the Arts Council | Park City & Summit County is one of the oldest arts and culture organizations in Park City. For the past 30+ years, they have advocated and secured significant funding for arts and culture and incubated numerous other arts organizations and can truly be credited with helping make art a vibrant part of our community. They maintain a collective calendar of all things arts & culture in Park City which can be found here. Our burgeoning arts culture in Park City and Summit County relies heavily on philanthropy and we extend enormous gratitude to the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation for their major contributions to both the “PC high school” auditorium and the Egyptian Theater on Main St. and for underwriting so many cultural affairs.
Last Friday of the Month Gallery Strolls
Felicity and I really enjoy the once-a month gallery strolls sponsored by the Park City Gallery Association. We dedicate the last Friday of each month to this activity; we love seeing new works, meeting artists, listening to the occasional string quartet or vocalist who might be performing while noshing on charcuterie, usually accompanied by a nice glass of wine. This monthly event takes place on Main Street with over 20 galleries participating. For Felicity’s interior design business, this is most helpful for the art procuring aspect of her work.
Park City Film
We are also avid supporters of the Park City Film Series which is thankfully now back to offering live cinema in the Jim Santy Auditorium on Park Avenue. Don’t forget your favorite popcorn bowl for unlimited refills!
Park City Institute
The Park City Institute is a 501c3 non-profit founded in 1998 dedicated to bringing world-class performances and innovative ideas to the community. They offer diverse programming; when our kids were younger the National Geographic photojournalist presentations were always a fun family outing. Here’s their most current calendar.
Mountain Town Music
It would be awfully quiet up here at 7000 feet if it were not for the efforts of Mountain Town Music. They believe music is essential for our wellbeing and I agree.
They function as a sort of clearing house for all things in the popular music vein, either guiding programming or providing promotion. We are thankful for all they do!
Bluebird Café at Sundance Resort
One of Felicity’s favorite annual events is the Bluebird Café at Sundance Resort. She and her pals rave about the intimacy of three Nashville artists performing together while also telling the back stories of their songwriting inspiration to the limited audience, in one of the most gorgeous settings along the Wasatch Back. It’s ALWAYS a sell-out so click here to get on the email and waitlist.
Wasatch Speaker Series
Intermountain Healthcare’s wildly popular Wasatch Speaker Series is another “must.” Just a few years young, this speaker series has been enormously well received, so much so that the 2021-2022 Season is sold out. Speakers in this current series include President Barack Obama, Pulitzer Prize-winning Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, Neuroscientist & Author Dr. Lisa Genova, Jay Leno, NASA Astronaut & NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathy Sullivan, NY Times Foreign Affairs columnist Thomas Friedman, and Conservation Photographer Joel Sartore. I highly suggest getting on the waitlist so you’ll have a shot at next season’s lineup.
Ballet West
Ballet West is considered one of the finest ballet troupes in the nation; we are so lucky to have the Ballet West Academy in Park City for the aspiring ballerinas in your family. The Ballet performs in both Salt Lake and Park City, click here to get connected with events.
Hale Centre Theatre
The Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy offers mid-valley Broadway and theater programs with two separate theaters and is a great family destination, close to a mall and dining. Learn more here.
Now Playing Utah
Now Playing Utah is another collaborative community calendar sponsored by the Salt Lake Chamber, the Utah Arts Council and various other stakeholders that is chock full of unique events; consider bookmarking this one as it is wide reaching, including events at Utah State in Logan to some of the gems of southern Utah. Click here and hit the subscribe button in the upper right corner. You’ll find everything from a wine tasting at Tracy Aviary to art openings at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the University of Utah to Nordic Nights at Solitude.
Tuacahn Center for the Arts
As spring approaches, we often have a hankering to head down South for some hiking or mountain biking in Canyon Country. The Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Ivins, just outside St. George offers Broadway theatrical plays and popular music concerts at the mouth of Padre Canyon starting in March. Find more details here.
Shakespeare Festival
Cedar City is home to the annual summer Shakespeare Festival and usually includes some of the great Shakespearean classics as well as other musicals including Sweeney Todd and The Sound of Music, all generously sponsored by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. Click here for the lineup and ticket information.
I hope this overview of arts and cultural opportunities is useful for you, whether it’s to plan alternatives to your traditional après ski options or to map out your annual culture sampler. Cheers!
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