Utah Arts Festival
Posted on April 12, 2020
The 2020 Utah Arts Festival has been postponed until June of 2021 due to COVID-19
The Utah arts festival is a weekend long gathering that occurs each year during the fourth weekend of June. As a nonprofit organization they have a mission to promote the arts and all of the good that it brings to the local community. It began back in 1977 and was known as the Salt Lake Festival of the Arts and had artists participating through visual art, performing art, and culinary art. Over the years they festival has exponentially expanded with attendance amounting to over 70,000 each summer and growing. There are many ways for an individual to get involved in the festival, whether it be as a volunteer, donor, sponsor, performer, artist, or rather just an attendee. The Utah Arts Festival is something you do not want to miss.
Categories
There are so many forms of art that occur within the festival. Below are the categories and what they entail!
Performing Arts
Performing Arts can include anything from music headliners, to local musicians, street theatre, dance, and literary art performances. There is also a "Fear No Film" category that allows individuals to watch short films made by artists. These screenings are free to the public and have different programs that display collections of short films .
Visual Arts
Within Visual Arts there is 2-D mixed media, 3-D mixed media, ceramics, digital art, drawing and pastel, fiber, glass work, graphics and printmaking, jewelery, metalwork, painting, photography, sculpture, wearable art, and wood work.
Literary Arts
During the 2019 festival Literary arts performances included performances of poetry, slam poetry, nonfiction, fiction, storytelling, hip-hop and spoken word, and our favorite cowboy poetry. Along with the performances there is also literary workshops that take place where you are able to draft up fun postcards, and participate in writing activities.
Art & Technology/ Urban Art
There are multiple make and take projects included in this category. Included is an Art-Cade, Art Tiles that a robot draws on for you, Rube Goldberg projects, bots, and much more. This is a very hands on category that allows the attendee to participate in the making of some art. You can aslo view live graffiti art being painted as well as listen to local DJ's and MC's all included in the Urban Arts category.
Parents
In the southwest corner of the festival is an area called KIDSFEST. It has various activities for kids to participate in such as building an ant out of upcycled material, decorating "bugs", an instrument petting zoo, poetry workshop, and much more.
LEARN MORE
How to Participate
Check out the Utah Arts Festival applications page for detailed breakdowns of application due dates for each category. As well as volunteer and sponsorship applications.
UAF Application PageTicket Pricing
Cash Only if purchasing tickets at the box office. ATM's can be found at the box offices and on the festival grounds. Festival runs: Thur-Sun, Noon to 11pm
Adult Admission
$15
Children 12 & under are free
Senior 65+/Military
$8
These tickets can only be purchased at the Festival Box Office
Thursday&Friday Lunchtime Special
$8
Noon to 3pm
Festival Pass
$50
4 Day Festival Pass
Directions to the Festival
There is no designated parking for the festival. Many privately owned parking lots will charge anwhere from $5 to $15 for parking. Free parking can be found in the surrounding area, but you may have to park far away, so be prepared to walk a few blocks.
After the Festival
Perhaps you finished up the festival and are looking for a restaraunt to dine at or something elso to go to. Check out our other posts to find the best that Utah has to offer.