16 Best Performing Arts in Park City and the Southern Wasatch, Utah

Everything from Utah Symphony performances to country music features on stage. Big name stars like Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Chris Isaak, and Judy Collins have graced the outdoor amphitheater, which sits on the resort's beginner ski area.

Go on Wednesday evening for free concerts with local and regional bands, and pack a picnic.

This nonprofit organization books dozens of local, regional, and national musical acts in the Park City area, using many different venues around town, including the ski resorts and Main Street. No matter what show you go to, you're likely to see every age group represented and enjoying the music. Most performances are free.

Celebrating visual and culinary art, this three-day festival, held the first weekend in August, is the biggest summer event in town. More than 200 artists from all over North America exhibit and offer their work to 40,000 festival attendees. Culinary vendors and beer and wine gardens offer plenty of refreshment to art lovers, and live music is around every corner.

For 10 days each January, movie stars, film executives, and independent film lovers gather in a mountain setting for the Sundance Film Festival, hosted by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. It's a chance to view the screenings of new, risk-taking documentaries, features, and other creative film projects from around the globe. Moviegoers can also participate in Q&A conversations with filmmakers, producers, and creatives after screenings. Participants can add their names to a waiting list even if shows are sold out. The festival is held at many venues in Park City, Sundance, Ogden, and downtown Salt Lake City, and there are music and culinary events as well.

Book your hotel months in advance. Skip the rental car and use the free shuttle. Park City's legendary ski slopes empty out while the filmgoers attend the screenings, so build in a day of crowd-free skiing.

Each June and July, the America's Freedom Festival combines a series of patriotic activities and contests. The event peaks with a hot-air balloon festival, the state's biggest Independence Day parade, and fireworks at BYU's 65,000-seat LaVell Edwards Stadium, dubbed the Stadium of Fire.

Most performances at BYU are held in this center, which houses a concert hall, recital hall, and three theaters. The ticket office is on the third floor, near the south entrance, and is open weekdays 9--5; there's another ticket office on the north side of the Marriott Center, ground level, with more convenient parking.

Dance, theater, wide-ranging concerts, family shows, and other performances are on the bill in a state-of-the-art auditorium that also holds the biggest premieres during the Sundance Film Festival.

This historical building has been a Park City theater since its mining days in the 1880s. In 1922, the Egyptian Theatre was constructed on the site of the original Dewey Theatre that collapsed under record-breaking snow. Patrons enjoy an eclectic array of local and regional music, theater, and comedy in the 266-seat space.

From June through August, enjoy the free and family-friendly market and musical concerts. A farmers' market fills City Park with fresh produce and rock, reggae, or folk tunes every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30.

Held in early July, this festival allows diners and wine-enthusiasts to sample from wineries, distilleries, and breweries from all over the world and to taste delicious fare from the region's best restaurants. Educational seminars are offered, and the festival culminates in a grand tasting at Montage Deer Valley.

It's increasingly popular, and many events now sell out in advance, so plan ahead.

Held over Labor Day weekend, this is a four-day event that draws approximately 20,000 spectators for an extraordinary display of canine skill. There are also bagpipers, culinary treats, and entertainment for wee ones.

The studio offers workshops in photography, jewelry making, wheel-thrown pottery, plein air acrylic and watercolor painting, and charcoal or pencil drawing. Mirroring the Sundance ethic, these classes blend the natural world with the artistic process. All workshops and classes are open to resort guests as well as day visitors, and you'll go away with a finished piece of art.

For more than 15 years, the Sundance Author Series has brought literary and political icons like Sue Monk Kidd and Jimmy Carter to the Tree Room for an intimate brunch and lecture. As an added bonus, you'll walk away with a signed copy of the author's book.

Each summer, Sundance brings a little Nashville to Utah with the Bluebird Café series. Singer-songwriters take the outdoor stage on select summer Fridays to share stories and music in the serene Utah mountains.

Each Labor Day Weekend, Midway's Swiss Days honor the town's original Swiss settlers with a parade, entertainment, and contests. More than 300 gallons of sauerkraut are consumed during the two-day event that takes place in the Town Square.

A 60-car demolition derby is the popular kickoff for the week-long Wasatch County Fair in late July/early August; a rodeo caps the action. Events are based at the Wasatch County Fairground in Southfield Park.