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Good morning, Utah!
The aquarium’s lantern festival lights up for its opening weekend, the Moab Folk Festival kicks off its 24th year in red rock country and No. 3 Utah hosts No. 7 BYU in a 10 a.m. rivalry game. There’s also Mozart at Abravanel Hall, a 25-hour mountain bike race outside Hurricane and My Fair Lady in Logan. Here’s what’s happening around Utah over the next three days.
Autumn flights are here
Cool air, colorful leaves or a whole new city skyline: There's still time to book your fall escape with Alaska Airlines. Watch the aspens turn golden in Denver, catch a set on Broadway in Nashville, or trade sweaters for sunshine in Palm Springs. However you picture autumn, we fly there.
Fall is the perfect season for a quick reset. Maybe you're craving crisp hikes through New England, a weekend of orchards in the Pacific Northwest, or a food crawl through a city you've never explored. Whatever your version of autumn takes you, we've got a flight to get you there. Fly nonstop or connect to hundreds of destinations nationwide.
Flights start at great prices, so taking a little fall break won't break your budget.
Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.
Friday
🎶 Moab Folk Festival Opening Night
The 24th annual celebration of Americana, roots, and bluegrass kicks off in the red rock country with intimate evening concerts featuring world-class singer-songwriters.
📍 Star Hall, 159 E Center St, Moab
🔗 https://www.moabfolkfestival.com/
🏮 Aquarium Lantern Festival Opening Weekend
Wander among dozens of towering, handcrafted illuminated silk lanterns featuring glowing ocean creatures and holiday displays across the aquarium grounds.
📍 Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, 12033 S Lone Peak Pkwy, Draper
🔗 https://livingplanetaquarium.org/lantern-festival/
🎹 The Music of Billy Joel & Elton John Starring Michael Cavanaugh
Tony and Grammy-nominated Broadway star Michael Cavanaugh delivers a high-energy rock-and-roll tribute under the towering red cliffs.
📍 Tuacahn Amphitheatre, 1100 Tuacahn Dr, Ivins
🔗 https://www.tuacahn.org/
Saturday
🏈 Utah Utes vs. BYU Cougars
The Utes host the Cougars at 10 a.m. in the first rivalry game between the two schools as top-10 teams, with Big 12 title hopes on the line. The game airs on ABC.
📍 Rice-Eccles Stadium, 451 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City
🔗 https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401856849/byu-utah
🧵 Adopt-A-Native-Elder Navajo Rug Show & Sale
Browse hundreds of authentic handwoven rugs, traditional jewelry, and basketry, featuring live cultural dances and weaving demonstrations supporting Native elders.
📍 Snow Park Lodge, Deer Valley Resort, 2250 Deer Valley Dr S, Park City
🔗 https://www.anelder.org/
🚴 25 Hours in Frog Hollow
Cheer on solo riders and relay teams taking on a rugged 14-mile desert singletrack loop in this legendary day-and-night mountain endurance bike race
📍 Frog Town / Sheep Bridge Rd Trailhead, Hurricane
🔗 https://ziarides.com/25-hours-in-frog-hollow/
🎻 Utah Symphony: Mozart with Conrad Tao
Pianist and conductor Conrad Tao joins the Utah Symphony for an evening featuring Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 and the iconic Symphony No. 40
📍 Maurice Abravanel Hall, 123 W South Temple, Salt Lake City
🔗 https://utahsymphony.org/
🎺 Bands of America Utah Regional Championship
Top high school marching bands from across the Intermountain West compete in field shows showcasing intricate choreography and brass percussion arrangements.
📍 Greater Zion Stadium, Utah Tech University, 501 S 700 E, St. George
🔗 https://marching.musicforall.org/
Sunday
🔬 NHMU ScienceFest
Explore interactive STEM labs, watch live scientific demonstrations, and meet local paleontologists and researchers discovering Utah's prehistoric past
📍 Natural History Museum of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City
🔗 https://nhmu.utah.edu/events/sciencefest
🎭 My Fair Lady at Ellen Eccles Theatre
Cache Valley Civic Arts presents Lerner and Loewe's classic Broadway musical, complete with full orchestral accompaniment and period costumes.
📍 Ellen Eccles Theatre, 43 S Main St, Logan
🔗 https://cachearts.org/
🎤 Master Singers Fall Concert
An uplifting, community choral performance by southern Utah’s premier men's vocal ensemble performing classical standards and folk arrangements.
📍 Heritage Center Theater, 105 N 100 E, Cedar City
🔗 https://www.cedarcityut.gov/calendar.aspx
Utah News
ICE made 548 arrests in Utah in July, roughly five times the average monthly number under President Joe Biden, the Deseret News reported.
At the University of Utah, in-state tuition and fees total an estimated $10,480 for the 2026-27 school year, compared with $32,932 for nonresidents, and a Justice Department lawsuit now puts that difference at stake for some students.
Lake Powell is up 15.44 feet since the new water year began Oct. 1, according to the Lake Powell Water Database, but it still sits 11.86 feet lower than it did a year ago.
“Keep it classy” is the message Utah’s student section wants fans to remember ahead of Saturday’s 10 a.m. rivalry game between No. 3 Utah and No. 7 BYU.
That's your weekend! If you stumble across a great local trail, a new favorite restaurant, or a hidden spot, reply to this email and tell me about it. Have a great weekend, and see you next week.