About the Area
Cultural Events
A major state holiday is Pioneer Day, July 24, which marks the anniversary of the Mormon Pioneers' entry into the Salt Lake Valley. It is celebrated each year with a week's worth of activities, including a children parade, a horse parade, the featured Days of '47 Parade (one of the largest parades in the United States), a rodeao, and a large fireworks show at Liberty Park.
The Greek Festival held the weekend after Labor Day, celebrates Utah's Greek heritage and is located at the downtown Greek Orthodox Church. The 3-day event includes Greek music, dance groups, Cathedral tours, booths and large buffet. Attendance ranges from 35,000-50,000.
The Utah Arts Festival has been held annually since 1977 with an average attendance of 80,000. About 130 booths are available for visual artists and there are five performance venues for musicians.
Salt Lake City also hosts portions of the Sundance Film Festival. The Festival, which is held each year, brings many cultural icons, movie stars, celebrities, and thousands of film buffs to see the largest independent film festivals in the United States. The headquarters of the event is in nearby Park City.
On the third Friday of every month, Salt Lake City hosts a free gallery stroll; many galleries and other downtown businesses stay open late, allowing art enthusiasts to tour various exhibits after hours. Sidewalk artists, street performers and musicians also sometimes participate in these monthly events.
Salt Lake City provides many venues for both professional and amateur theatre. The city attracts many traveling Broadway and Off-Broadway performances which perform in the historic Capitol Theatre. Salt Lake City ishome to the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The Choir's weekly program, called Music and the Spoken Word, is the longest-running continuous network broadcast in the world. Other musical venues include the Utah Symphony Orchestra, JazzSLC, and the summer series concerts at Red Butte Gardens and at Deer Valley Ski Resort.
Professional dance companies in Salt Lake City include Ballet West, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and Repertory Dance Theatre.
Salt Lake City was host to the 2002 Winter Olympics. At the time of the 2002 Olympics, Salt City in the international spotlight and is regarded by many as being one of the most successful winter Olympics ever.
Education and Schools
A number of public and private schools (kindergarten through 12th grade) are available locally in the Salt Lake Valley. Salt Lake County includes five separate public school districts and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City operates 8 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 high schools, and 2 preschools. Salt Lake County also has several independant schools including Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School, and The Waterford School.
Postsecondary educational options in Salt Lake City include the University of Utah, Westminster College, Salt Lake Community College, Stevens-Henager College, Eagle Gate College, The Art Institute of Salt Lake City and LDS Business College. Utah State University and BYU also operate satellite education centers in the city.
Transportation
Salt Lake City's mass transit service is operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and includes a bus system, light rail, and a commuter rail line. The 35-mile light rail system, called TRAX, consists of three lines: The Blue Line which travels from the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub, south to the nearby city of Sandy; The Red Line which runs from the University of Utah, south-west through Salt Lake City to the south-western community of Daybreak; and the Green Line which runs from the Intermodal Hub to West Valley City. The system has a total of 41 stations, 17 of them being located withing the city limits. Two expansions are currently underway; the Blue Line is being expanded south into Draper and the Green Line is being expanded north-west to the International Airport.
The commuter rail system, FrontRunner, extends from the Intermodal Hub north to Pleasant View in Weber County. An expansion of FrontRunner-south to Provo in Utah County-is under construction and expected to be completed by 2014 as part of UTA's FrontLines 2015 project.
UTA's bus system extends throughout the Wasatch Front from Brigham City in the north to Santaquin in the south and as far west as Grantsville. UTA also operates routes to the ski resorts in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons during the ski season (typically November to April).
What's Going On In Our Neighboring Forests?
Intermountain Region Stories - Find out what is happening throughout the Intermountain Region which covers 12 forests and 30 million acres in southern Idaho, western Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and a sliver of California. These stories cover a wide range of topics including project work, successes, partnerships, history and culture, employees, and recreation opportunities.