The Most Colorful Morning You Will Ever Have at 6:00 AM…read moreThere are not many things worth setting an alarm for at 5:00 in the morning. This is one of them. The Provo Freedom Festival Balloon Fest is a three day annual celebration of the Fourth of July held at Fox Field on Freedom Boulevard, and it is exactly the kind of event that reminds you why summer in Utah is something special. Pilots from across the country bring their balloons to the Wasatch foothills and what unfolds over those three days is one of the most visually spectacular community events in the state. Arrive early. We mean it. Getting there around 5:30 am puts you on the field while the crews are still inflating the balloons, and watching a seven story tall colossus slowly rise against the backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains is something that does not have a good comparison. Sixty to eighty feet of color and fabric filling with air while the mountains glow in the early morning light is the kind of moment you reach for your camera and realize no photo will fully do it justice. Go anyway, take the pictures anyway. A tip for families: the crew members of each balloon are friendly and genuinely happy to talk. Ask them for their balloon card. Kids can collect a card from every balloon on the field and it turns the whole experience into an impromptu treasure hunt. Then come back for the glow event, which happens one night during the three day run and is worth rearranging your schedule for. The balloons stay grounded but are fully inflated and lit from within by their propane burners in sync with music. Watching these giants pulse and glow in the dark while the crowd gathers around them is a completely different experience from the morning flights and every bit as memorable. We grabbed a sugar waffle from the Waffle Love truck and wandered between the glowing balloons in the evening air, and it was the kind of night that sticks with you. A few practical notes before you go. This is a free event with no tickets required, which makes it even more remarkable for what it delivers. Parking is the one challenge. Neighboring businesses offer paid parking for around ten dollars, which is worth it if you want convenience. If you prefer free, arrive early and look for the field parking behind the hospital. Come late and you will be walking. Full marks. Some experiences justify every star and then some. Put it on the calendar now for next July.

The balloon festival has become a yearly tradition. It's amazing every time. It's just something we…read morenever tire of seeing. It's fun to bring friend and family that come into town to experience the beauty and magic of it all. We show up early, bring blankets and breakfast and enjoy the show. It's a must see for all ages.

Fall Fun with my crew …read more This fall fair is so impressive. They had a great pumpkin patch, fruit, & many fun attractions. Quinn's favorite thing was the double barrel shotgun, this slide is faster than it seems, he was like a bullet flying out the end. He loved it they also rode the "Wilkerson's Windmill" that's a classing swing, they rode it 3times. I enjoyed the "Little Barnyard" the little piggies are the cutest. They also have a leisurely wagon tour around the fields for impressive scenic views and fun facts about farming. After playing for a couple hours we sat down and ate tacos at one of the many great food trucks . Then ventured through the Mini's mini cornmaze and the 4acre big corn maze . It was a full evening of Fall fair fun creating many great memories. .

This farm is so much fun! We spent three hours here and could have stayed longer. Talk about bang…read morefor your buck!!! The rides, animals, corn maze, corn pit, and pumpkin stand were so much fun. I liked the corn maze wasn't overly big but it was just the right size. My kids loved going on the rides as many times as they could. They had the carousel, tea cups, swings, and many other rides. the pumpkins they were selling were good sized and there were many varieties. They had portable potty's for customers to use. We came during the day and there was a food stand selling Mexican style corn on the cob and drinks. There's also a little general store that sold popcorn, Carmel apples, ice cream and fruit. I will definitely be back several times before the season ends.

An amazing experience held at the Talladega, AL race track!!! I had the opportunity to attend the…read moreLights Festival in Talladega approx. 1.5hrs from Atlanta, GA. This was the closet location to SC, hopefully they will bring this event oneday to the Palmettos! The event cancelled twice due to weather, so finally...I got to the event about 7pm, the event started at 4pm, I didn't wanna sit in a field for hrs, so we showed up just in time. We checked in, received bands, lantern, instructions, a black marker to decorate the lantern. They did have a lot of goodies you can purchase for the evening. The parking was organized when we arrived, leaving was another story, we went the opposite of the traffic to avoid the traffic drama, no issues. I brought 2 chairs, bug spray, and some snacks. They did have some food trucks, the lines were super long, so be prepared. I did buy some kettle popcorn from one of the vendors. The team lit the oil lanterns around 8p just before dark, lots of music playing, people dancing having a god time. The host for the evening was lively and kept kept the crowd entertained. Approx 8:30 the host gave directions and lit 1 lantern so we could see the direction of the wind. Once we got the Ok, its was dark enough for everyone to start lighting and releasing the lanterns! Such a magical night and a lot of fun for all. Yes, I would attend again if they came closer to Columbia, SC! The price is reasonable for all, $20- 25 per lantern. Add them on your FB page so you can keep up with the locations.

It was nice until it was time to leave. Number one they charge $30 for parking when I don't even…read morethink the venues parking charges anything after it's dark. Anyways, it took us 1 hour to leave the parking area although we left shortly after we released our lanterns. The workers guide you inside to park but completely disappear when it was time to leave. It was pure chaos and there were no exit signs or workers to usher drivers out. If they are going to charge $30 for parking, they should ensure that youhelp paying customers to get out. Imagine having a crying baby for 1 hour because the parking lot was so backed up it took an hour to leave. It ruined the whole experience for me and it was my first time. Never again. If I could get a refund I would.

As far as music festivals go, I'd say Bonanza Campout is about 85% percent "there."…read moreThe venue was really the determining factor for the entire thing--though it appears small on the map, overall there was an acceptable amount of room for the amount of people that attended. There weren't many, and hearing from other people's experiences, it seems that buying a ticket last minute for this was the way to go because the festival seemed to be giving them away as the date came closer: schools, radio stations, other concerts, and certain businesses had either free tickets or generous discounts. On the first day after opening, the population of the whole place was probably about 90. Over the weekend, more people seemed to show up despite bad weather. There were not many places to escape the rain on the second day, and being told that we could not return to our cars after 6 pm did not really help. The tables used for the RV spots were moved into the middle of the park so there were some places to sit, and water was very easily accessible...even though the website states that everyone is allowed "water up to 20 oz if it's factory sealed or in a reusable bottle" they wanted any outside liquids thrown away. There was a surprisingly great selection of food, from trucks to stands, and the prices were decent. Portapotties were definitely available. I don't know if I would call this a very family-friendly environment, with such a small area, all of the smoking and drinking kind of converges at once. Parking was horrible if you didn't arrive early. By the end of the night, there were cars literally parked a mile from the site. It is a two lane road and the only parking is on the very weedy side--and due to the lack of space, they were telling people to double park. They were charging $5 for parking, but I would definitely argue that once the cars are extending past the RV park property, the can no longer ask for a fee...it's not their property to charge for. Music, Art, Camping: The price overall was justified by some key (and quite impressive) performances. Other than Cold War Kids, Jamie N Commons, Secret Weapons, Doe, Milo Greene, and Jr. Jr. seemed to really give a good balance to some of the more electronically-based bands. On that note, the festival had numerous music quality issues: the audio was at least partially lost on quite a few performances, and on the second day the music was cranked up so loudly it become almost unbearable. This was especially annoying as the close proximity of the Shade Stage and the Bonanza Stage become a lot more obvious with all of the sound bleed. For the most part, the organizers were great at staying on schedule so there wasn't a whole lot of music-less time. This festival was not really art-centric at all--the main art attractions were a few (very impressive) vendors, a tree full of umbrellas (?), and an art piece sponsored by Skullcandy. This was slightly disappointing, because the entire area has a lot of potential as far as space and involvement with festival goers. We did not elect to do the camping, and I'm glad we didn't--a lot of the claims the festival made as far as amenities ("bathrooms" = portapotties, despite actual bathrooms in the main building... "fenced in area for campers only" = listing to a crazy amount of people and cars try to exit in the night because they are parked right next to you...) were stretches, and if you really wanted to camp, you could do it down the road, without paying a thing. The last 15% this festival is missing might include a better parking situation, more space, increased vendors, better sound quality, more art, and, likely, better hype. The lack of people was blaringly obvious, but overall, everybody in my group had a good time. And most importantly, despite all of the issues, Bonanza did pretty well by compensating with an impressively large variety of music.

RADDDD FESTIVAL! My company be Light Candle Co was at the event this year and we loved it so much!…read moreThey had really good vendors so I wanted to walk around a little more than I got to but I still love this market none the less! Definitely check it out it is always the second Saturday of September and usually the same day as the suicide prevention walk that's at liberty park. The market is from 10-6 and they do the walk from 9-1pm so you're totally able to check out both the same day.

Great little street festival! Good local booths mixed with some businesses…read more We are some huge shaved ice treats and just perused for a bit. If you're around during the festival, stop on by and support local artists and craftsma

you really do feel like you have transformed into the Renaissance time period!…read more Small children will really have fun, as there are a plethora of things for them to do (especially age 5-10 age group) There are plenty of options for food and drink The environment felt safe and secure Plenty of opportunities to purchase a variety of items- and some of these would be hard to find elsewhere (such as glass blowing on-site, aromatherapy items, leather goods and many places to buy Renaissance-era clothing and lots of jewelry, just to name a few) Unusual activities to choose from, such as shooting a bow and arrow, throwing spears and axes and thors hammer with the Vikings Lots of photo opportunities with people dressed in Renaissance period costumes

From the owner: Friday and Saturday August 28th and 29th, 2020 at Thanksgiving Point from 10am to 8pm. Come One!…read moreCome All! Join us and re-live the Renaissance and Medieval times at Thanksgiving Point. There will be jousting, Kings and Queens, armored combat, medieval Vikings, old-world music, dancing, games, pirates, shopping, great food, and so much more!

I was fortunate enough to attend the Salt Lake Greek Festival this year and it was so much fun!…read moreIt's the 2nd largest cultural festival in Utah and definitely worth checking out! It's also the largest Greek festival West of the Mississippi! The traditional dancing and music was my fave - so lively and the dancers have huge smiles and are so proud to celebrate their culture - you can't help but clap along and tap your feet. The people were all so friendly and welcoming and the food was fantastic. The festival takes place over three whole days but I only attended one. It was so fun I'd definitely like to visit on the other days if I ever get a chance. They have tons of performances, all sorts of food booths and a large bar for drinks, a huge Greek market full of all sorts of interesting vendors, a great coffee vendor in a beautiful courtyard, and offer fabulous tours of SLC's ornate Greek Orthodox Church next door to the festival - lots to see and do! The event was absolutely packed with people - it's a very popular festival - but the space is enormous and had no issues accommodating all the visitors. Everything was well organized and even though the line for the food hall was insanely long, it moved super fast and was no issue. And they had plenty of seating and tables to accommodate all the eaters too. The food was just wonderful - it's expensive but all homemade and definitely worth the price imo - it's a fundraiser for the church so it's a good cause - also, the church sets aside funds every year from the Festival to support many charities in the community so win win! Once you get inside the food hall, it's cafeteria style where you walk the line and the volunteers hand you whatever you want to eat. It's all homemade by members of the community too! My son's girlfriend and her family are Greek and she told me all about it - you can definitely tell they put a lot of love into the dishes! We tried the baked chicken, Fasolakia (green beans stewed in tomatoes), Keftethes (meatballs in spices and tomato sauce), salad, Pastichio (Greek lasagna), calamari, and Spanakopita of course!! There are lots of other choices too but these are what stood out to me and it was all lovely. The festival has been going since 1976 and nowadays has as many as 50,000 attendees! It's $5 to enter (as of 2024) plus cost of food and drink. The church tours and performances are free. It's located in downtown Salt Lake near Pioneer Square and is either street parking or in one of the local parking garages (prices are good compared to LA parking lol). The city is very walkable.

5 to get in Food is pretty expensive and not authentic…read more"Greek!" I've been there, this is not even close Tyne Greek Orthodox Church is beautiful and work a visit. The actual festival, not worth it.

What an awesome, unexpected festival to wrap up the Labor Day weekend! When entering in downtown…read moreProvo from spending the day in the desert the first thing that we noticed was the amount of people, the sound of the music and the festive atmosphere across the street from the temple and the beautiful mountains as background. I was so happy to see so many happy people and organized food trucks and organized public seating watching the many shows (4 days of non stop music and dances, that was a FULL program of joy, pity that I was only have a glimpse of the whole event). My only 'wow' was related to masks. Looks like covid was inexistent as barely some vendors had masks on. Majority of people did not follow much the social distancing (blame the churros) and inexistent masks. So strange. That aside, I just felt very happy to be there, it was very magical, the sunset, the stands selling food from all Latin American countries, the smiles, the warm and also tons of freebies to take home! Check the photos to get an idea of the attraction power of this event!

I can't hype up Craft Lake City enough! Over the years I've taken several of their artisan…read moreworkshops including embroidery classes, relief printing, macrame, sugar scrubs, and so many more. They host several workshops a month and always mix up the locations as well. Sometimes their events are more intimate 21+ events at Alibi, and sometimes we're using a space at NHMU (and getting a complimentary NHMU ticket for the evening!) or the Valley Fair Mail. Every class is so much fun, and it's a lovely community of people from all over the valley. I've met so many wonderful people at these classes. The artists that host them are so talented. I've never considered myself very crafty or creative, but after taking these workshops, I've realized that I have so many skills and interests that I never knew I had! It feels like every workshop honors the creativity of my inner child :) In addition to their workshops, they do a million other things that benefit our local community and foster creativity. They host two large events - the DIY Festival in August and the Holiday Market in December. Their staff is always friendly and helpful, and every event I've attended has been fun and well organized. Thank you to Craft Lake City for helping us adults connect with our inner child and for all that you do for our community!

Super fun event with local artists from Utah, many cool things to see! There were booths scattered…read moreall over. I need to do a better job at finding these awesome events. Can't wait to attend next year too!

Fun excursion on the Deer Creek Express. I thought $30 per ticket was a bit steep for the 90 minute…read moretrain ride. One car had high ceilings and bigger windows than the other; we were assigned to the smaller one but thankfully got to switch halfway through as our ride was not crowded. The bigger car is much more spacious and feels less claustrophobic. The heat is what killed us. The lack of AC during the summer is brutal. It got better with time but for 80% of the ride was uncomfortably hot. Keep in mind if you're planning to visit in the summer. Beautiful views, concessions for purchase, and friendly staff.

Staff was friendly. The process to get tickets was easy and straightforward. I was a little…read moredisappointed with the ride. We were hoping to see some Fall colors but the train doesn't get far enough to see any of it. It's a beautiful area so the ride isn't bad but we were led to believe that we would see some of the colors of Fall. We won't be doing this again.