Hello Folks,
It seems the snow has just left the ground and here we are with Fall upon us. I am the worst predictor of Fall colors on the planet, but this year I am going with “muted colors”. Although Summer is behind us, that doesn’t mean we have run out of things to do in Park City. As you will see below, we have a multitude of events over the next few months leading to the Holidays. Enjoy!
Regards Murray Gardner

After a warmer than normal summer with very little rainfall, we welcome the crisp mornings and bright colors of autumn. It’s a great time to enjoy so many activities as our thoughts begin to shift to the upcoming ski season. The excitement builds…..

AUTUMN ALOFT BALLOON FESTIVAL
September 15-16, 2018 | 2530 Kearns Blvd | North 40 Fields, Park City, Utah

The short but sweet autumn season officially gets underway with the return of the Autumn Aloft Balloon Festival on Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and 16. Event festivities are free to spectators and are scheduled to take place at multiple locations around the Park City area. Autumn Aloft is a visual delight for spectators rather than an opportunity for balloon rides for event attendees.

Farm Trail (easy) Great for the entire family, this easy paved trail takes you through Park City’s historic McPolin Barn off of Highway 224. The path stretches for several miles, so you can go as far as you would like while enjoying the mountain aspens, the postcard-worthy McLeod Creek, and a meadow of grazing horses. Make it a morning adventure or after-lunch stroll. It’s a picturesque payoff that doesn’t require any hiking expertise. View the whole trail network online. As it gets closer to Halloween, look for the display of scarecrows along the fenceline.

Round Valley Trail System (easy-moderate) Round Valley trail system sits on nearly 700 acres of open space, hovering at about 6,500 feet making it a popular hiking spot in early spring and late fall. The 30 miles of trails, that include both double and single track, can be accessed from several trail-heads including Quinn’s Junction and Old Ranch Road. Check out a map of the entire trail system. There is limited shade, so plan to head out early in the morning to avoid the heat of the day.

Jenni’s Trail (moderate) One of the newer trails in Park City, this 5.1-mile one-way trail starts from Park City Mountain Resort and ascends 1,300 feet to panoramic views from the top of Payday Lift. The trail is wide and smooth and it is easy to create a shorter, family-friendly hike that is about five miles by turning around at the Payday mid-station. Check out the turn-by-turn directions from the resort staff.

Silver Lake Trail (more strenuous) Take Park City’s free bus service to Deer Valley Resort’s Silver Lake Lodge to start the trail. From here the trail winds its way up Bald Mountain climbing 1,300 feet in a two-mile stretch. The hike leads you to spectacular views of fall foliage, the Jordanelle Reservoir and the Uinta Mountains. From the top, you can descend the Ontario Canyon Trail, which slowly winds down the mountain, ending back at Silver Lake Lodge. View Deer Valley staff’s trail description.

Fantasy Ridge (strenuous) This six-mile trail winds through aspen groves and across a ridge-line to Canyons Resort’s highest peak at 9,900 feet The pay-off? 1,890 feet of elevation gain with panoramic views of both Park City and the Uinta Mountains. View all of Canyon’s hiking trails.

Looking for something a little more strenuous to hike with teens or adults? Try the McLeod Creek Trail. The 6 mile McLeod Creek Trail begins north of downtown Park City near the Snow Creek Medical Center. It merges with the Olympic Parkway Trail along McLeod Creek for about a mile to Meadows Drive before paralleling State Route 224 to the Farm Trailhead. The wide, flat pathway takes trail-goers through wooded areas, over bridges with scenic views and past unique sculptures before becoming open country at Old Ranch Road.

For more information on Park City’s trail system, visit the Mountain Trails Foundation.

Harvest Dinner
September 15, 2018 | Mountain Song Farm

This harvest dinner is a celebration of the farm season. This amazing meal, sourced from the farm and other local food purveyors, features a wonderful rustic meal, locally-sourced wine and beer, and delicious cocktails. There will also be music, a beautiful venue, and a lovely community. Tickets include the meal, cocktails, wine, and beer, and infinite views. For more info click here.

Tour des Suds
September 16, 2018 | City Park

Tour des Suds is a 7-mile mountain bike climb starting at City Park. Go hard and treat it like a legit mountain bike race (yes, there are awards) or a crazy costume party on bikes. Either way, it’s 2,700′ of vert straight up to the finish line/Skullcandy Party Station at the top of Guardsman Pass. Festivities continue back at City Park with lunch and the “Suds” provided by Red Rock Brewery, along with a killer opportunity drawing, costume contest and awards. The Tour des Suds is the zaniest mountain bike party in the west! For more info click here.

Brunch at Altitude
September 22, 2018 | 11am – 2pm | Summit Watch Plaza

Brunch is, by far, a favorite meal for many — and there’s no better place to revel in that glorious excuse-to-sleep-in-and-nosh-and-sip-through-midday than outdoors in the heart of Park City. The family-friendly gathering hosted by Park City Magazine will serve up mouth-watering bites and beverages (from a slew of Park City’s premier eateries), a sizzling Bloody Mary Smackdown, live entertainment featuring Shannon Runyon, Randy Moser and Morgan and McCune, a spirit garden featuring Dented Brick Distillery, a silent auction benefitting the Peace House, yard games, and a breakfast-in-bed photo booth. Say, cheese! And cheers!

Your Ticket Includes:

  • Event Admission 11 am – 2 pm
  • Brunch samples from each of the participating food vendors
  • Spirit Garden for those 21+
  • Live Entertainment: Shannon Runyon, Randy Moser, Morgan and McCune
  • Breakfast in Bed Photo Booth Experience
  • Yard Games
  • Silent Auction to support Peace House

For more info click here.

Hoppy Hour at Wasatch Brew Pub
September 29, 2018 | 6-10pm

This party will celebrate the release of ‘Clothing Hoptional’, an annual beer made by Wasatch Brewery with hops harvested from open space protected by the Summit Land Conservancy. The $20 entry fee will get you appetizers, 2 drinks, and enter you into an opportunity drawing with awesome prizes! The proceeds will go to the Summit Land Conservancy and their efforts in saving land in Summit County for the benefit of people and nature. For tickets click here.

3rd Annual Park City Shot Ski Event
October 13, 2018 | 2pm | Main St

Raise your glasses for Park City’s 3rd annual Shot Ski Event! High West Distillery, the event’s presenting sponsor for the first time this year, will be topping off glasses with their own Rendezvous Rye. This year, the event invites 1,275 shot-takers to break Breckenridge’s record set in January 2018 of 1,266 participants and 425 skis. A $25 ticket includes a spot on the shot-ski, one souvenir shot glass and a token to enjoy a High West specialty drink at one of several after-party locations. High West is the official after-party site including Wasatch Brew Pub, OP Rockwell, and No Name Saloon, will also be celebrating. All proceeds will go to Park City Sunrise Rotary Club’s Grant Program for 20 community organizations. For more info click here.

Park City Farmers’ Market
Wednesdays through October 24th Silver King Resort Parking Lot

Each Wednesday, Park City Resort hosts the Park City Farmers’ Market, offering food trucks, fresh produce, fresh baked bread and arts and crafts from local vendors. The Farmers’ Market runs into mid-late October, depending on weather and the growing season. For more info click here.

Snowbird’s 46th Annual Oktoberfest Celebration
Every Saturday and Sunday through October 21st

Voted one of America’s 10 Best Oktoberfests by Men’s Journal Magazine. Snowbird’s Annual Oktoberfest attracts over 60,000 visitors and has grown to become one of the largest festivals in Utah. For more info click here.

Park City Film Series
Jim Santy Auditorium/Park City Library Building

The Park City Film Series is a nonprofit organization presenting the best of independent feature, documentary, world and local cinema. Our mission is to create community through film. Upcoming films include the following:

Leave No Trace: September 14-16
Three Identical Strangers: September 21 – 23
The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales: September 23
The Most Unknown: September 27
All In: September 28-30
Anote’s Ark: October 4
Eighth Grade: October 5-7
A Wrinkle in Time: October 6
Women’s Adventure Film Tour: October 11
Puzzle: October 12-14
Le Grand Mechant Renard et Autres Contes: October 13
Frankenweenie: October 27
Paddington 2: November 3
13th Annual Filmmakers Showcase: November 8
Viva Kid Flicks!: November 10
The Mask You Live In: November 15
The Nightmare Before Christmas: November 21
The Wizard of Oz: November 23

For more info on the Park City Film Series click here.

Art on the Trails
September 15, 2018 | McCleod Creek Trail

Join the Arts Council for an unexpected creative experience on September 15 from 1-4 pm at McLeod Creek Trail between Copper Moose Farm Stand and Temple Har Shalom. Be pleasantly surprised to find multiple pop-up creative performances as you walk, run, bike, skip, or jump down the trail. Encounter dance, classical music, folk music, spoken word poetry, and more. Free and open to the public, all ages welcome. For more info click here.

Thriller – Odyssey Dance Theatre
September 21 – October 7, 2018 | Egyptian Theatre

A ghoulish dance of monsters and maniacs, creeps and clowns. It is mystifying, mesmerizing, and morbid. An annual tradition and always a sell-out! Lowest Prices offered for first Sunday, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Recommended for ages 12+ – some children may find too scary. For more info click here.

Niki de Saint Phalle: Freedom Would Be Mine Through
Sept 16, 2018 | Kimball Arts Center

Niki de Saint Phalle’s work has been recently featured at the Guggenheim Bilbao and Paris’ Le Grand Palais, and now, it’s coming to the Kimball! Come see work by one of the foremost women artists of the twentieth century. For more info click here.

Garry Trudeau
October 13, 2018 | Eccles Center Theater

Park City Institute presents Garry Trudeau, political comic strip artist, author, playwright, lyricist, producer, filmmaker, and social observer. Trudeau launched his comic strip, Doonesbury, in 1970, and currently appears in nearly 1,200 daily and Sunday newspapers in the U.S. and abroad. For more info click here.

New Chinese Acrobats
October 26, 2018 | Eccles Center Theater

Created in association with the world-famous Cirque Eloize company, The New Chinese Acrobats represent the next step in the evolution of acrobatic companies from the East. Mixing new techniques and acts with ancient traditions, The New Chinese Acrobats present the opportunity to view the best of China’s ancient folk art, mixed with the style and virtuosity of today’s generation. With performers selected from across China for their high-level acrobatic skills and innovative staging, the show includes award-winning acts from prestigious circus festivals such as Monte Carlo Circus Festival and World Circus Festival of Paris. For more info click here.

8th Annual Harvest Fest
October 6, 2018 | Noon-5pm | High Star Ranch

The 8th Annual Harvest Fest at High Star Ranch in Kamas is free and open to the public. There will be dozens of vendors selling a dazzling array of local goods! The festival will feature local food and drink, activities for kids, wagon rides, live music, local crafts, and more. For more info click here.

The Addams Family Musical
November 16-24, 2018 | Egyptian Theatre

Wednesday has fallen in love with a nice young man from Ohio! The dinner party hosted by Gomez & Morticia to meet the boy’s parents goes devilishly awry, testing the bonds of family, love, and unholy matrimony. By the Ziegfeld Theatre Company. For more info click here.

Dejoria Center Concerts
Dejoria Center | Kamas

Candlebox: September 15th
Queensryche: September 22nd
Sam Bush: November 10th

For more info click here.

Egyptian Theatre Events
Egyptian Theatre | 328 Main St

An Evening with Judy Collins: October 11th-13th
Jesse Colin Young: October 18th-20th
The SteelDrivers: October 25th-27th
Foghat: November 1st-4th
Melissa Manchester: November 9th-11th

For more info click here.

Halloween Movie Night
October 27, 2018 | Dejoria Center

Join us for a community Halloween event. Starting the night with a “Trunk or Treat” in the parking lot at 4:00 pm and then showing “Coco” at 5:00 pm in the Arena. Concessions will be available.

Trunk or Treat: Starts at 4:00pm
Movie: “Coco” Starts at 5:00pm

For more info click here.

Howl-O-Ween on Historic Main Street
October 31, 2018 | 3:00-6:00 pm

Halloween on Historic Park City’s Main Street was named one of the top Halloween celebrations in the country by Travel and Leisure Magazine and for good reason! When you combine two and four-legged costumed creatures with gourmet treats and maybe a few tricks you have a one-of-a-kind celebration. Trick or Treating is from 3:00-5:00pm and the Howl-O-Ween Dog Party runs from 5 to 6pm. For more info click here.

Scarecrow Festival at McPolin Farm
September 22, 2018 | McPolin Farm

Build your own scarecrow which will be displayed on the trail for everyone to see through October 19th. The event includes pumpkin painting, face painting, stuffing for your scarecrow, games and cookies. Bring all the items to build your scarecrow including a head, clothing, safety pins, shoe, props, scissors and any other fun funky accessories you can think of. Stuffing and crosses are provided to display your scarecrow. Event tickets are $40 for a group of four and non-event tickets are $20 each. All tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets on sale online at the PC MARC.

Sleepy Hollow Haunted Wagon Rides
Throughout October | Soldier Hollow, Midway

Enjoy an authentic horsedrawn wagon ride through the woods of Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah as you listen to a colorful narration of Washington Irving’s original short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Be careful as the woods are rumored to be haunted and frequented by the apparition of the Headless Horseman! For more info click here.

Pumpkin Train at the Heber Valley Railroad
October 4-29, 2018 | Select Dates

You and your kids will enjoy our annual Pumpkin Train! Your ticket includes a short 40 minute train ride where you will be entertained on board by costumed characters. You’ll also get to try a delicious pumpkin cookie. At the depot you can take a trip through our (family friendly) haunted car, and get a Halloween sticker. And of course you also get to select a pumpkin from our Pumpkin Patch and take it home with you! Additional food and snacks will be available for purchase at the depot. For more info click here.

Heber Valley Western Music & Cowboy Poetry Gathering
October 24-28, 2018 | Heber City

Cowboy Poets tell tales of the Western life through rhythm and rhyme, they will make you laugh and make you cry, and in the end you’ll be forever grateful for the old cowboy tales. Heber Valley’s Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair includes western booths with arts, crafts and cowboy gear, mountain man camp, cowboy church and nonstop cowboy poetry and entertainment. Musician entertainers such as the Bar J Wranglers, Riders in the Sky, Belamy Brothers and more sing songs of the old cowboy. Get your tickets early, as sell-outs are common! For more info click here.

PRCA Wilderness Circuit Rodeo Finals
November 1-3, 2018 | Wasatch County Events Center – Heber City

The PRCA RAM Wilderness Circuit Rodeo Finals inviting you to join me at the Wasatch County Events Center in Heber City Utah November 1 – 3 at 7 pm nightly for nonstop action in the comfort of the Indoor Arena. Watch the Top 12 cowboys and cowgirls in each event Ride, Rope, Tie and WIN a RAM Wilderness Circuit Championship. For more info click here.

Park City Trail Series Half Marathon
September 15, 2018 | Round Valley

The Park City Trail Series Half Marathon is a true accomplishment. The course includes all of the terrain from the earlier races plus some extra distance. The trees have turned colors and whole area is bathed in hues of autumn. The air is cold at the start as mist settles in the valleys. Balloons from the Park City balloon festival rise with the sun and float overhead. For more info click here.

Red Bull 400 Park City
September 15, 2018 | Utah Olympic Park

The fourth annual Red Bull 400 in the United States will be hosted at the Utah Olympic Park. Participants will run and race 400m up the Nordic ski jump at an elevation of 6,870 ft from the starting point. This will be the highest elevation Red Bull 400 has ever been. Put your endurance and body to the test with the hardest 400m race you will ever compete in. For more info click here.

46th Annual Park City Ski & Snowboard Swap
November 2-4 | Basin Recreation Field House in Kimball Junction

Friday, November 2: 8pm-1am | $10 admission fee (12 & under free)
Saturday, November 3: 10am-6pm | $5 admission fee (12 & under free)
Sunday, November 4: 10am-2pm | $2 admission fee (12 & under free)

*30% sales commission benefits the Park City Ski Team. Please, no ski equipment over 5 years old and no used hats, gloves, goggles, sunglasses or other accessory items.

2018 Snowbird Ski & Board SWAP
September 21–23, 2018

HOURS: Friday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Saturday & Sunday : 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Snowbird Center – Level 2, Cottonwood Rooms

  • Admission is Free — No Tag Fee to Sell Items
  • “Check–In” for Selling is on Friday 10am – 8pm | Saturday & Sunday 10am – 6pm

For more info, click here.

WINTER RESORT OPENINGS

*dates are estimates only and subject to change based on weather or other circumstances

SEASON PASSES

Get seasons passes at the current pricing until October 15th. For all season pass information, visit the Deer Valley website here. Current pricing is:

  • Adults One – ages 18-64 ($2,365)
  • Adult Two – ages 18-64, spouse of Adult One or Senior ($1,950)
  • Teen – ages 13-17 ($1,000)
  • Child – ages 5-12 ($600) Senior – ages 65-71 ($1,205)
  • Super Senior – ages 72+ ($1,100)
  • College Student ($1,480) Military ($1,235)
  • Tot – ages 4 and under ($160 or free with purchase of adult season pass)

2018-19 Ikon Passes are also now on sale, offering access to 36 iconic ski destinations. For more on the Ikon click here.

Get seasons passes at the current pricing until October 7th.

Current pricing is:

  • Full Epic Pass ($929)
  • Epic Local Pass ($689)
  • Remember, the full Epic Pass gives you unrestricted access to Park City Mountain and Vail Resort’s 19 other properties plus access to its numerous international properties, while the Epic Local Pass has multiple restrictions.

For more info click here.

Dont’ forget about the Epic Schoolkids Utah Pack.

The Epic SchoolKids Utah Pack is a FREE program for Utah Kindergarten through 5th graders that provides five days of skiing and riding at Park City. No purchase necessary! It includes one free first-timer ski or ride lesson with equipment rental. Some restrictions apply and spaces fill up quickly so register today.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

January 24th – February 3rd, 2018 | Learn More Here

Autumn is a great time to secure your ski season property early, before town gets busy with visitors. Please contact me for an up-to-date inventory of properties of interest…and Think Snow!