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South Valley Riverton Journal

Welcome to your summer festival guide

May 14, 2018 04:23PM ● By Travis Barton

Hundreds of people listened to various bands at last year’s Heart and Soul Music Stroll in Sugar House, including Jaboom at Imperial Park. This year’s version will take place on June 10. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

By Travis Barton | [email protected] 

Cometh summer, cometh the festivals. 

Each year, cities across the Salt Lake Valley hold a summer celebration to commemorate the community, city or country. They do so with parades, contests, music and fireworks. This year’s slate of festivals starts after Memorial Day and will run into fall. Here’s a chronological guide to everything on tap for summer 2018.

 

SoJo Summerfest | May 30-June 2 

South Jordan kicks off the summer spectacles with its third annual SoJo Summerfest. This replaced its traditional Country Fest two years ago.

The four-day festival features events all over the city from Mulligans Golf Course (10600 South 692 West) and City Park (11000 South Redwood Road) to the public works parking lot (10996 South Redwood Road) and fitness and aquatic center (10866 South Redwood Road).

Events will feature family fun activities such as the carnival, 5K race, parade, car show, superhero party or swim with local performing group, Utah Mermaids. A skateboard competition, tennis tournament, chalk art contest and multi-category Battle of the Bands are also set to take place throughout the festival. 

A complete list of events and times can be found at sjc.utah.gov/sojo-summerfest/.

 

Fort Herriman PRCA Rodeo | June 1-2 

Held at W&M Butterfield Park (14200 South 6212 West), Herriman’s annual rodeo features a family night on Friday and military night on Saturday. The rodeo will also include a special needs roundup on Saturday from 3-4:30 p.m.

Visit herriman.org/prca-rodeo/ for more information.

 

Music Stroll | June 9 

The seventh annual Heart and Soul Music Stroll returns to Sugar House on June 9. Dozens of local performers will share their musical talents throughout the day (last year featured 44).

Free to the community, the Music Stroll has 14 different locations spread throughout a two block radius along Filmore and Glenmore streets between 2700 South and Zenith Avenue. Thirteen performing areas are arranged on front lawns with one stage set up at Imperial Park (1560 East Atkin Avenue).

Heart and Soul is a non-profit organization based out of Salt Lake City that aims to bring the “healing power of music” to people in isolation. Performers donate their time throughout the year performing at places like senior centers, prisons or hospitals.

Streets are lined not only with hundreds of people but several food trucks as well.

Visit heartsoul.org/music-stroll for more information.

 

WestFest | June 14-17 

What started in the late ‘70s at Grange Park with a car show, pony rides and a few food booths has blossomed into one of West Valley City’s premier events.

The annual celebration, which commemorates the establishment of West Valley City and the recognition of its residents’ various backgrounds, will take place at Centennial Park (5415 West 3100 South) from June 14-17.

The 2018 version will feature a WestFest Sombrero Bowl Skate Competition, the 13th annual Dutch Oven Cookoff, a 5K and 10K and entertainment from No limits, This is YOUR Band, Chance McKinney and Channel Z.

For more information and for those interested in volunteering, visit westfest.org.

 

Fort Herriman Towne Days | June 18-23

The city’s weeklong celebration of everything Herriman begins on Monday June 18 with a talent show and ends on Saturday June 23 with a carnival, parade and fireworks. 

Each day of the week features something different such as a disc golf tournament, home run derby, K9 and trampoline shows and a foam party.

All events will take place at W&M Butterfield Park (6212 West 14200 South), J. Lynn Crane Park (5355 West Main Street) and Rosecrest Park (13850 South Rosecrest Road) where the Herriman Hyzer Disc Golf Tournament will take place.

Times and events can be found at herriman.org/fort-herriman-days/.

 

Taylorsville Dayzz | June 28-30

Located at Valley Regional Park (5100 South 2700 West), Taylorsville Dayzz holds a full slate for its city celebration on the west side of the valley. 

From Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. when the carnival begins to Saturday’s fireworks finale at 10 p.m., the festival is non-stop with entertainment.

Tributes bands Imagine (Beatles) along with the West Valley Symphony & Cannons will perform Thursday night, Desperado (Eagles) takes the stage Friday night and Stayin’ Alive (Bee Gees) with the Taylorsville Orchestra will close it out on Saturday. Every show is free to the public. 

Saturday also includes a 5K fun run, pony rides and a car show. A full list of events and times is available at taylorsvilledayzz.com.

 

Riverton Town Days | June 28-July 4

 

Riverton starts its celebration one day early this year on June 28 with its 3-Man Arena Sorting Competition and the Riverton Rodeo and runs right through to July 4 with its full slate of activities on Independence Day.

July 4 will feature the 11th annual ATV Rodeo (Riverton Rodeo Grounds, 12780 South 1300 West) where races will include pole bending, barrel racing, panty hose race, key hole race and a hide race. Independence Day will also see Riverton Country Mile 10K, 5K and 1-mile races in addition to the Tour de Riverton bike race. The starting lines will begin on the south side of Riverton City Park at 12800 South. 

Food, hay dives, a July 3 evening parade are still on the docket for this tradition since the early 1900s. For more information, visit rivertoncity.com.

 

Western Stampede | June 30-July 4

What starts with a fun run, children’s parade, carnival and family fun night on June 30, continues with the focus of West Jordan’s summer festival—its rodeo. 

July 2-4 features a PRCA rodeo at the city’s rodeo arena, 8035 South 2200 West. The rodeo also features the winner of the Western Stampede Queen Contest, which was scheduled for May 12.

Visit westernstampede.com for more information.

 

Murray Fun Days | July 4 

Murray City carries a full slate of activities for Independence Day. 

Beginning at 8:30 a.m. will be the annual parade, which begins at Fashion Place Mall (6100 South State Street) and ends at the west end of Murray Park (296 East Murray Park Avenue). Awards are given for the following parade entry categories: special interest/antique, business/commercial, equestrian/animal and civic/royalty/political/float.

The rest of the day takes place at Murray Park. It features a community breakfast, chalk art contest, talent show, a Ducky Derby along the creek in Murray Park, a coed volleyball tournament on the softball field and ends with fireworks.

For exact times and events, visit murray.utah.gov/283/Fun-Days.

 

July 4 Parade and Festivities | July 4

South Salt Lake will continue its festival tradition at Fitts Park (3050 South 500 East) on July 4. The day begins with a 5K fun run at 8 a.m. while the parade gets underway at 9:30 a.m. and the one-day celebration rounds out with a festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 

Sandy City 4th of July | July 4

Sandy holds its Independence Day Celebration on the grassy promenade between Sandy City Hall and South Town Mall at 10000 South Centennial Parkway.

The Sandy Classic 5K race begins at 7 a.m. A youth arts festival commences at 10 a.m. where children ages 4-12 can participate in face painting, craft stations and sand sculpting.

At 6 p.m. the parade begins with a concert at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks to close out the night at 10 p.m.

 

Draper Days | July 5-7, 12-14 

Draper’s festival will take place over two weekends in July.

Culminating in the second weekend with fireworks and concerts, Draper Days will begin with various athletic contests the first weekend including a tennis tournament, pickleball tournament and 3 v 3 basketball tournament.

Other events include Splash Dogs, horse pull, pie contest, rodeo, Draper Idol and a children’s parade.

Full event schedules and information can be found at draper.ut.us.

 

Butlerville Days | July 23-24 

Cottonwood Heights continues its traditional celebration this year on Monday and Tuesday, July 23-24.

Planned by volunteers, city staff and the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center; Butlerville Days takes place at Butler Park (7500 South 2700 East). 

The festival expects to have games, entertainment, a carnival, parade and fireworks show. A creative craft market and pickleball tournament are recent additions to the yearly commemoration to go along with the 5K fun run.

 

Bluffdale Old West Days | July 27-28, August 6-11 

Community members look at cars during Bluffdale’s Old West Days 2016 celebration. (City Journals)

 

While the rodeo will take place July 27-28, the city’s official Old West Days celebration goes all week long in August.

Details for events are still to come, but if last year is anything to go by then this year can expect another monster truck competition. Last year also featured a 25-mile cycling ride and ATV rodeo.

Check bluffdaleoldwestdays.com later this summer for more information.

 

Harvest Days | August 6-11

1938 marked the first Harvest Days in Midvale, 80 years ago according to the Midvale Historical Society. It was sponsored by the Midvale Kiwanis club.

Details are still being ironed out, but the weeklong celebration of Midvale, begins August 6. The week’s events generally feature an induction into the Midvale Arts Council’s Hall of Honors, a parade and a grand festival and Midvale’s City Park (between Center Street and 7500 South, at approximately 425 West).

Check midvaleharvestdays.com later this summer for more information.

 

Blue Moon Arts Festival | August 25

Holladay City Hall Park will play host to its annual Blue Moon Arts Festival on Aug. 25. (City Journals)

 

Holladay rounds out the summer season with its annual Blue Moon Arts Festival. The one-day celebration is different from other cities’ week-long engagements.

Holladay will have its Concerts in the Commons series running from July 14 through Aug. 25. July will also feature Jim McGee’s ambitious art project combining storytelling and large-scale charcoal portraits. “It’s an opportunity for people to model and collaborate, to be seen and heard in a unique kind of way,” McGee told the Journals in February. 

Culminating in a festival for music and arts, the Blue Moon Arts Festival takes place at Holladay City Hall Park (4580 South 2300 East) from 3-10 p.m. on Aug. 25. 

This year’s musical attractions will include Motown group Changing Lanes Experience and Gypsy jazz group Red Rock Hot Club. 

For more information, visit holladayarts.org.