LAKEFEST 2026 Is This Saturday at the Great Salt Lake — Free Admission, Kayaking, and More

On this day in 1962, three inmates escaped from Alcatraz on rafts made from raincoats, disappeared into San Francisco Bay, and were never found. This weekend, the Great Salt Lake is offering a considerably better-organized aquatic adventure: LAKEFEST at Great Salt Lake State Park on Saturday is free, family-friendly, and very much expects you to come back. It is a good weekend to be outside.

And much more!

Let's get to it.

— Andrew Johnson

🎵 Utah Blues Festival runs Friday and Saturday at the Gallivan Center downtown for its 10th anniversary, headlined by Tommy Castro and the Painkillers, Danielle Nicole, and Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport, with free festival grounds, a full food and drink setup, and after-parties at the adjacent Marriott both nights.

🎭 Back to the Future: The Musical closes Sunday at the Eccles Theater after a two-week Broadway run in Utah. Friday and Saturday have matinee and evening options. This is the last weekend to see Marty McFly and Doc Brown on a local stage.

🌮 Latino Arts Festival runs free through Sunday at Canyons Village in Park City with 40-plus artists, 11 food trucks, Grammy-nominated Los Wizzards headlining Saturday, and World Cup watch parties on the outdoor screens all weekend.

Solid country catalog, Sandy Amphitheater on a Friday night, and opener Mark MacKay to warm the crowd up.

The Grand Theatre closes its run of Mel Brooks' Tony-winning comedy this weekend. Con-men, bad theater, and a showstopper of a finale.

Fox School of Wine covers pale Provence blush through bold Grenache rosé in a two-hour class on Main Street Park City.

Kid Cudi headlines his first major tour in years, with M.I.A. and Big Boi on this specific date. West Valley City on a Saturday night.

Free day at the lake: kayaking, canoeing, a cardboard boat race, guided nature walks, food trucks, science stations, and live music. Come see what everyone is trying to save.

Saturday pool party at The Gauge with pop-up vendors, a coffee and matcha cart, and music. Runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Artists finish large-scale murals live on Holden Street while music, a beer garden, food trucks, and an outdoor market fill out the closing night of mural week.

Back at Pioneer Park in a new layout this summer, part of the ongoing renovation. Same local vendors, same Saturday morning ritual.

A hands-on two-hour class covering gin's history, styles, and flavor range. Good for anyone who has been ordering G&Ts without knowing exactly why.

Fifty-five years of country, Americana, and folk, and this is the Utah stop on the officially final tour. Sandy Amphitheater Sunday night.

56 pianists from 14 countries compete for $60,000 in prizes and a final round with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall. Preliminary rounds at Rose Wagner are free all day.

Swap, repair, or consign outdoor gear at Black Diamond's SLC campus, in partnership with Wonderland Gear Exchange, ATS, and Patagonia SLC.

See More: Event info

🤖 Walmart and Wing named Salt Lake City one of seven new US markets for drone grocery delivery this week, targeting a 2027 launch with Wing drones dropping orders of 2.1 lbs or less to your backyard in about 30 minutes.

✈️ Four F-35As from Hill Air Force Base circled the Salt Lake Valley for over an hour Tuesday night, flying 13 holding-pattern laps to time a flyover for the Utah Talons softball team's home opener at the University of Utah.

🏀 BYU's Richie Saunders is projected as a lock for the June 23 NBA Draft despite tearing his ACL in February, averaging 18.1 points per game before the injury and staying in Provo partly on advice from a Utah Jazz executive.

🏥 The University of Utah received board of trustees approval this week for a 46-acre medical campus at The Point in Draper, positioning the school as the exclusive healthcare provider for one of the state's fastest-growing corridors.

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