2017 Taste of the Wasatch menu

With over 50 restaurants represented at this year’s Taste of the Wasatch, there will be much to be devoured in the name of fighting hunger in Utah. Chart your gastronomic path for Sunday’s grand tasting as the culinary event of the summer gets set to begin this Sunday, August 6 at 11 a.m. for VIP … Read more

What’s New at the 2017 Taste of the Wasatch event?

The 2017 iteration of Taste of the Wasatch, one of Salt Lake’s premiere charitable events to fight hunger, returns to Solitude Mountain Resort on Sunday, August 6 with a host of fresh and fun offerings in store. “What sets Taste of the Wasatch apart from other food events in the state is the level of food, … Read more

14th annual Utah Film Center’s Damn These Heels LGBTQ Film Festival highlights artistic progress, mainstream acceptance

There is no doubt, especially in the last half dozen years, that the artistic ideals of LGBTQ cinema not only successfully promulgate new perspectives in the mainstream but also highlight incisive takes that push the film traditions of character, director, auteur and audience well beyond conventional binary-based boundaries. Today’s stories emphasize themes of inclusion, openness … Read more

A detailed look at largest, most cosmopolitan lineup ever at Utah Film Center’s Damn These Heels LGBTQ Film Festival

The Utah Film Center’s Damn These Heels LGBTQ Film Festival offers the largest, most cosmopolitan lineup ever in its 14-year history. Utah filmgoers have a rare opportunity to see some of the best examples of LGBTQ cinema today, as 21 films are receiving their Utah premieres. The Utah Review screened many of the films in … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2017: Pedrito Martinez Group to close out festival on exuberant note

Pedrito Martinez received his musical education in the streets of central Havana. “There were so many teachers that were my idols,” he says in an interview with The Utah Review. The batá rhythms he learned originated in Africa, once performed only for kings. The performer on the largest drum, the instrument referred to as the … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2017: Saturday headliners include Mitch Barrett, Fruition, RJD2, The Sauce Boss, IAMA Millsaps finals

Saturday’s weather will be perfect and the Utah Arts Festival’s headliner slate is ideal for a summer evening. Among the highlights are performers marking the fourth annual IAMA Day for musicians and members of the Intermountain Acoustic Musician Association (IAMA). There will be the finals of the Susanne Millsaps Performing Songwriter Showcase competition (noon, Big … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2017: Random acts of opera sponsored by Utah Opera return to City Library for second year

Soprano Clara Hurtado-Lee is looking forward to testing out the acoustics in the soaring and spacious Urban Room atrium of the City Library. Perched on the overhang on one of the floors above the main space, a trained opera singer can fill the entire vast space with her voice. For the second year at the … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2017: Friday’s blockbuster headlining slate includes new jazz and dance commissions, Brazilian culture, and plenty of blues, soul, funk, R&B

Friday’s headliners for the Utah Arts Festival comprise a blockbuster lineup on the main stages with world premieres in two programs (click on previews for each program): the jazz commission concert with the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra featuring Alex Heitlinger, Andrea Miller and Chuck Findley (7:45 p.m., Festival Stage) and the dance commission concert … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2017: Spy Hop’s workshops geared toward onsite creative outputs in beatmaking, Claymation videos, filmmaking

Spy Hop Productions’ partnership with the Utah Arts Festival has evolved through the years, mainly because of the national youth media group’s penchant for adventurous projects that push the creative boundaries of festival visitors much in the same way the organization’s mentors encourage their students to be as bold as possible. This year, Spy Hop … Read more

Backstage at The Utah Arts Festival 2017: Samba Fogo calls audiences to the fire; spiritual heat of Samba

This flame that burns in my heart. Calls me to the heat of Samba. It is the glow that illuminates the darkness The light that clarifies my path. It is culture, art, and expression. It is magic brought from Aruanda. From black and white ashes From so much suffering of yore A phoenix was born … Read more