🏆 The Wasatch Front's Top 10 Upcoming Events

Updated Oct. 11, 2026

GameDay Comes to Provo — and Dracula Takes the Stage

ESPN's College GameDay sets up in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 17, ahead of unbeaten Notre Dame against unbeaten BYU. It's the show's first visit since Oct. 24, 2009, when BYU hosted TCU and LaVell Edwards joined the set as the guest picker. The Horned Frogs spoiled the party that night, winning 38-7, so Cougar fans have a score to settle with GameDay. Redwest fills the Fairpark that same weekend, the Mammoth are back home at the Delta Center, and the Jazz open Oct. 23. The Orionid meteor shower peaks on the 21st, and Halloween week brings Ballet West's Dracula and Hocus Pocus with the Utah Symphony. This is a living list. As one event passes, another takes its place, so check back before you make your weekend plans.

#1 GAMEDAY COMES TO PROVO: NOTRE DAME AT BYU

Notre Dame at BYU, Sat., Oct. 17, 5:30 p.m., LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo | ESPN College GameDay live from campus that morning, 7–10 a.m. | Utah at Colorado, Sat., Oct. 17 | Utah vs. Houston, Sat., Oct. 24, Rice-Eccles Stadium | Tickets: byucougars.com · utahutes.com | How to Watch: GameDay on ESPN; Notre Dame–BYU on ABC

The biggest regular-season game in Provo in decades. BYU beat Iowa State 24-10 on Oct. 9 behind a career night from Bear Bachmeier: 329 passing yards and a career-high 109 rushing yards, including a 75-yard touchdown strike to Legend Glasker. Notre Dame rolled past Stanford 58-7 the next day to go 6-0. That sets up No. 3 Notre Dame at No. 8 BYU, which would be the first meeting of two top-10 teams in LaVell Edwards Stadium history.

And ESPN is coming with it. College GameDay will broadcast from BYU's campus, only its second visit to Provo and its first since 2009. The game kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Mountain time on ABC, in the network's prime-time window. Notre Dame hasn't played in Provo since 2004, when BYU won 20-17. The stadium's all-time attendance record, 66,247, was also set against the Irish, in 1993.

How to be part of the GameDay crowd. It's free. You don't need a game ticket to stand behind the set. BYU will announce the exact spot on campus during the week, so check byucougars.com before you go. Here's what to plan for:

Get there before dawn. The show starts at 7 a.m., and the best spots fill hours earlier. At recent stops, fans could line up around 5:15 a.m. Expect overnight camping to be prohibited.
Dress for the cold. So far, the forecast for Saturday calls for a low near 41 degrees, which is about what it will be when you arrive. It warms to the upper 60s by afternoon, with little chance of rain. Bring layers you can peel off by mid-morning.
Bring a sign, and follow the rules. Signs are part of the show, but ESPN checks them. At recent stops, signs had to be handheld, no larger than 3 feet by 5 feet, with no poles, sticks or extensions. Nothing vulgar, political or commercial, and no blank signs or dry-erase boards.
Bring a clear bag. Clear bags have been the rule at GameDay stops and at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Our plan: GameDay, the tailgate, then home for kickoff. You don't need a $400 ticket to have a great day. Catch GameDay from 7 to 10 a.m., then grab breakfast in Provo. BYU's pregame area, Cougar Canyon, usually opens three and a half hours before kickoff, which would be about 2 p.m. It's on Canyon Road on the west side of the stadium, with food trucks, live music and games. The Cougar Walk, when fans line the path as the team arrives, usually starts two and a half hours before kickoff, about 3 p.m. Cheer the team in, then head north. You'll beat the stadium traffic and be home for the 5:30 kickoff on ABC. There's no alcohol anywhere on BYU's campus, including the tailgate areas.

Still want a ticket? The game has been sold out since August, and the resale market is the only way in. Earlier this month, the cheapest single seat on SeatGeek was going for more than $400, and one listing asked $26,417. A few rules to keep from getting burned:

Buy only from a resale site with a buyer guarantee, such as SeatGeek, StubHub or Vivid Seats, and check the total price with fees before you pay.
Never pay a stranger with Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, PayPal Friends & Family or gift cards. If the tickets are fake, that money is gone.
A screenshot or PDF is not a ticket. Real mobile tickets are transferred through the ticketing app. If a seller won't transfer them, walk away.
Type the site address yourself. Fake ticket sites that look like the real ones show up in search ads for games like this.
Remember that sellers can ask anything. A $26,000 listing doesn't mean anyone is paying that. Prices often move in the final days, up or down.

Utah keeps rolling too. The Utes beat Kansas 41-24 in the Oct. 10 White Out to move to 5-0, with Wayshawn Parker running for 171 yards and two touchdowns. They play at Colorado on Oct. 17, then come home Oct. 24 for Houston.

Is a second GameDay coming? The Holy War is set for Saturday, Nov. 7 at Rice-Eccles, and it's shaping up to be one of the biggest in years. If both teams keep winning, two unbeaten, top-10 rivals would meet in Salt Lake City with a Big 12 title shot and a Playoff spot on the line. Could GameDay come back to Utah for a second time in one season? A few more wins on both sides would make it hard for ESPN to say no.

(Editor's Note: Expect heavy traffic on I-15 and University Avenue from early morning on. UVX buses run along University Avenue to campus and save you the parking hunt. Watching from home? GameDay runs 7–10 a.m. on ESPN, and the game is on ABC, so you don't need a streaming subscription.)

#2 MAMMOTH HOME TUESDAY, JAZZ OPEN OCT. 23

Hockey is back downtown Tuesday. The Mammoth opened the season with a 6-0 win over Chicago, the first home shutout in franchise history, then spent the week on the road. Now they come home for five games in two weeks. Toronto visits Tuesday, and Connor McDavid and Edmonton come in Saturday, Oct. 17. It is the first 84-game NHL season since 1993-94, and it includes a New Year's Eve Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The Jazz follow. Monday's preseason finale against San Antonio is the last cheap look at the new roster before the games count. The regular season opens on the road Oct. 21, and the home opener is Oct. 23 against New Orleans. The Lakers visit Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m., with Walker Kessler making his first trip back. Memphis plays here Oct. 26. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs come in Wednesday, Oct. 28, and Portland closes the month on Halloween. It is also the first home look at rookie Darryn Peterson.

(Editor's Note: The Delta Center sits in the downtown Free Fare Zone, and the Arena TRAX stop is at the door. For a first NHL game with kids, the Saturday games against Edmonton on Oct. 17 and Tampa Bay on Oct. 24 let you go early without a school night to worry about.)

#3 BALLET WEST'S DRACULA

Fri., Oct. 23–Sat., Oct. 31 | Evenings at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31 | Matinees at 2 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 24 and Sat., Oct. 31 | Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City | Tickets from $30 | Tickets: balletwest.org

The Halloween ballet, back by popular demand. Ballet West brings back Ben Stevenson's full-length Dracula, based on Bram Stoker's novel and set to the music of Franz Liszt, arranged by John Lanchbery. The Ballet West Orchestra plays it live. This is classical ballet with a gothic streak: elegant choreography, a castle full of brides and some of the best special effects the company puts on stage all year. The last performance is on Halloween night.

Video: Ballet West's Dracula*, posted in late September 2026.*

Come in costume on the 30th. Before the Friday, Oct. 30 evening show, Ballet West and FanX are co-hosting a costume contest. Judges include Ballet West's Director of Costume Production, Jason Hadley. There's a red carpet, a professional photographer, and a free keepsake magnet of your photo. Space is limited.

And a fitting way to give back. Through Oct. 18, Ballet West and the American Red Cross are running a blood drive. Donors who book with the code "Ballet" get a $15 e-gift card from the Red Cross.

(Editor's Note: The show runs about two and a half hours with two intermissions, and Ballet West recommends it for ages 8 and up. There is no late seating, so leave extra time for downtown parking. Three different dancers rotate in the title role. If you want a particular Dracula, check the casting list on the event page before you buy.)

#4 OCTOBER AT THE DELTA CENTER: KACEY, GORILLAZ, PHOEBE AND THE PUMPKINS

All shows at the Delta Center, 301 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City | Disney Worlds Collide Concert Tour, Wed., Oct. 14, 7 p.m. | Kacey Musgraves, Thu., Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m. | Gorillaz, Tue., Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m. | Phoebe Bridgers with Alex G, Wed., Oct. 21 | The Smashing Pumpkins, Thu., Oct. 29 | Dan + Shay, Fri., Oct. 30, 7 p.m. | Tickets: deltacenter.com

One building, six big concerts, and something for nearly every taste. After a summer closed for renovation, the Delta Center has packed October. Along with the Mammoth and the Jazz, it hosts a run of arena shows that would be a full season anywhere else.

Video: a quick introduction to the stars playing the Delta Center this October, posted in late September 2026.

Kacey Musgraves brings the Middle of Nowhere Tour on Oct. 15, touring her new album, with Gabriella Rose opening. She has eight Grammys, including Album of the Year for Golden Hour. Five nights later, Gorillaz bring The Mountain Tour with Little Simz and Deltron 3030. Phoebe Bridgers plays the next night. The Smashing Pumpkins and Dan + Shay play back to back on Oct. 29 and 30, which makes that the rock-then-country weekend before Halloween.

For families, Disney's Worlds Collide tour on Oct. 14 brings songs from Descendants, ZOMBIES and Camp Rock.

(Editor's Note: The Delta Center has a no-bag policy. Clutches and small medical or diaper bags are the exceptions, so check the size limits before you leave home. Arena TRAX is at the door, and the building is in the Free Fare Zone. With an event nearly every night from Oct. 23 on, don't count on easy parking any night that week. Our full concert calendar is at mountainandmain-ut.com/utah-concerts.)

#5 REDWEST COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL

Friday–Saturday, Oct. 16–17 | Utah State Fairpark, 155 N. 1000 West, Salt Lake City | Tickets: redwestslc.com

Two days, two stages, and a comeback. Ella Langley headlines Friday with Koe Wetzel and Shaboozey on the bill. Sam Barber and Tucker Wetmore co-headline Saturday, with Wyatt Flores and Cameron Whitcomb also playing. An acoustic stage runs both days. In total, more than 30 artists play across two main stages plus a VIP+ stage.

This is year three. Last year's festival ended early when severe weather forced the cancellation of Saturday night, and this lineup is a clear effort to win back fans. It leans hard into the artists who are defining country right now rather than the legacy acts. Garth gave the Wasatch Front its nostalgia weekend. Redwest is where the next generation of country fans will be.

It's an all-ages event, with no camping on site.

(Editor's Note: Take the Green Line TRAX to the Fairpark station and skip the parking lot. October nights on the west side of the valley get cold fast after sundown, so bring layers you can tie around your waist. Saturday is also Notre Dame in Provo, so if you don't have a ticket to that one, the Fairpark is a good place to spend the night.)

#6 FESTIVAL TRANSYLVANIA AT MILLCREEK GARDENS

October 8–30 | Monday–Saturday, 6:30–8 p.m.; closed Sundays | Millcreek Gardens, 3500 S. 900 East, Salt Lake City | Tickets: $11 weekdays, $13 weekends; children 2 and under free | millcreekgardens.ticketspice.com | SCAN THE QR CODE above for a discount on tickets

Our Family Pick. The gentlest Halloween event on this list, and the one to know about if you have kids who want to participate in spooky season without being chased through a cornfield.

Millcreek Gardens — a Salt Lake garden center since 1955 — turns part of its grounds into an outdoor story-walk each October, and Festival Transylvania has quietly become one of the valley's better family traditions. Attendance doubled last year to about 4,000. The premise is a walk-through narrative rather than a scare gauntlet: a spooky forest leading to the gates of Transylvania, a fortune-teller, a botched laboratory experiment, the headless horseman, a 1950s hearse on loan from a local mortuary. No gore, no blood, no chainsaws, and nobody jumping out at you. This year's story has Dracula and Frankenstein running against each other for mayor of Transylvania, with the audience voting.

The walk takes 40 to 60 minutes and ends at the Spooky Hollow Munchery, where most treats run a dollar. Timed-entry tickets, online or at the door. Costumes encouraged; pets stay home.

A dollar off, for our readers. Millcreek Gardens set up a code for Mountain & Main readers: enter MOUNTAINFRIEND at checkout for $1 off every ticket in your order. A family of five saves five dollars.

(Editor's Note: Go on a weekday if you can — two dollars cheaper per ticket, shorter line, same event. It's entirely outdoors at 6:30 in late October, so dress everyone one layer warmer than you think. And the plant-pun signage along the route is genuinely funny if you're the adult trailing the group.)

#7 ANTELOPE ISLAND: GREBES BY DAY, ORIONIDS BY NIGHT

Orionid meteor shower peaks before dawn Wed., Oct. 21 and Thu., Oct. 22 | Antelope Island State Park, Davis County | Info: stateparks.utah.gov

The busiest birds on the lake, and the closest dark sky to home. Every fall, millions of eared grebes stop on the Great Salt Lake. State wildlife biologists have counted as many as 5 million. Each bird eats 20,000 to 30,000 brine shrimp a day and doubles its weight before the long flight south. They molt while they're here, which leaves them flightless for part of the stay. The flocks stay into early winter, and the causeway to Antelope Island is one of the easiest places to see them.

Stay after sunset. Antelope Island is a certified International Dark Sky Park and the closest one to Salt Lake City. The Orionids, made of debris left by Halley's Comet, peak in the early mornings of Oct. 21 and 22. On a dark sky you may see up to about 20 meteors an hour. A bright moon sets after midnight, so the best viewing is the dark stretch between moonset and first light.

Want more options? East Canyon State Park, North Fork Park in Ogden Valley, and Timpanogos Cave National Monument are also certified Dark Sky Places within an easy drive. Our cover story on Utah's dark sky getaways arrives in mid-October.

(Editor's Note: Check the park's hours and the causeway fee before you plan a night visit. Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust, and keep your phone screen off. You don't need a telescope for meteors. Lie back and take in as much sky as you can. Bring more layers than the forecast suggests, because nights on the lake get cold fast.)

#8 ODYSSEY DANCE THEATRE'S THRILLER

Through Sat., Oct. 24, no Sunday performances | The Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State St., Salt Lake City | Tickets: grandtheatrecompany.com | Info: odysseydance.com

The Halloween show Utah keeps coming back to. Odyssey Dance Theatre's Thriller is two hours of dance built around the monsters of the season: Frankenstein's creature and his bride, skeletons, mummies and a few slasher-film villains. It tours the state every fall, and it's now playing at the Grand Theatre in Salt Lake.

The lineup includes crowd favorites like the title number "Thriller," "The Curse of the Mummy," "Dem Bones," "Frankenstein," "Jason Jam," "Salem's Mass" and "The Lost Boys," plus a few new surprises. It's campy, athletic and loud, and it's the rare dance show people bring their friends to year after year.

(Editor's Note: The Grand Theatre is on the SLCC South City campus, about 20 minutes up I-15 from Point of the Mountain, with parking on site. The company offers discounts of up to 30%, including buy-one-get-one tickets for students, so check odysseydance.com/discounts before you buy. If the Grand's website won't take your card, turn off any VPN or call the box office at 801-957-3322. Parents should know the show leans spooky and is aimed at older kids and adults.)

#9 HALLOWEEN WITH THE UTAH SYMPHONY: HOCUS POCUS AND HI-JINKS

Disney's Hocus Pocus in Concert, Thu., Oct. 29 and Fri., Oct. 30, 7 p.m., Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City | Ogden: Wed., Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m., Browning Center, Weber State University | Halloween Hi-Jinks family concert, Sat., Oct. 31, 11 a.m., Abravanel Hall | Tickets: usuo.org · arttix.org

A Halloween movie night, with the orchestra playing the score live. The Sanderson Sisters are back. The 1993 film Hocus Pocus plays on the big screen while the Utah Symphony, conducted by Vladimir Kulenovic, plays John Debney's score live underneath it. Costumes are encouraged, and there's movie trivia in the lobby before the show. Parents who grew up on it can now bring kids who know it by heart.

Then a morning concert on Halloween itself. Halloween Hi-Jinks is the symphony's long-running family Halloween concert, and costumes are part of the tradition. The 11 a.m. start means the orchestra is done well before trick-or-treating.

(Editor's Note: Hocus Pocus is open to ages 5 and up, with no babes in arms. Abravanel Hall is in the downtown Free Fare Zone, and a same-day ArtTix ticket also gets you a free ride on UTA buses and trains. If Salt Lake shows are tight, the Ogden performance on Wednesday is an easy drive for northern Davis and Weber County readers.)

#10 UTAH OPERA'S ZORRO — FINAL WEEK

Swordfights, flamenco and a masked hero, sung in two languages. Utah Opera opens its season with Héctor Armienta's Zorro. Set in early 19th-century Los Ángeles, it follows a young nobleman who puts on the black mask to defend the oppressed against a tyrannical mayor and to protect the woman he loves. Armienta wrote both the music and the words, and the score draws on Puccini and Mexican musical traditions. The production adds flamenco dance and real swordplay, with the Utah Symphony in the pit.

It is sung in English and Spanish, with supertitles in both languages above the stage, so you can follow every word. If someone in your house has never been to an opera, this is a good one to start with.

(Editor's Note: Rated PG for swordplay. It runs about two and a half hours and is open to ages 5 and up. Come an hour early for the free Opera Talk in the Capitol Room, or stay after for the Q&A with Utah Opera's artistic director. Your same-day ArtTix ticket also gets you a free UTA ride. Sunday's 2 p.m. matinee is the easiest one for families.)

BONUS PICK HOOPS ARE BACK: BYU, UTAH AND UTAH STATE TIP OFF

BYU vs. Nebraska (exhibition), Fri., Oct. 16, 7 p.m., Marriott Center, Provo | Utah at Nevada (exhibition), Sat., Oct. 17, 2 p.m., Reno | Utah vs. Oregon (exhibition), Wed., Oct. 21, 6:30 p.m., Jon M. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City | Utah State at Saint Mary's (exhibition), Sat., Oct. 17 | Utah State vs. Santa Clara (exhibition), Sat., Oct. 24, 2 p.m., Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Logan | Tickets: byucougars.com · utahutes.com · utahstateaggies.com | How to Watch: BYU–Nebraska on ESPN+

Football has the spotlight, but basketball season has quietly started. These games don't count in the standings, but they're the first real look at three rebuilt rosters, and they're played in front of fans. Until last year, games like these against Division I opponents had to be closed-door "secret scrimmages." A rule change opened the doors, and that's why you can buy a ticket.

BYU hosts Nebraska the night before Notre Dame. It's the return game of a two-year exhibition series. Last October in Lincoln, Nebraska won it 90-89. Kevin Young's Cougars were introduced at Marriott Madness last week, and this is the first time they'll play an opponent in front of the home crowd. They finish their exhibitions at UNLV on Oct. 24.

Utah is 1-0, unofficially. Alex Jensen's Runnin' Utes opened with a 79-69 win at UNLV, forcing 18 turnovers. Their only home exhibition is Oregon at the Huntsman Center on Oct. 21, a former Pac-12 rival making the return trip.

Utah State starts a new era. Ben Jacobson came to Logan after 20 seasons at Northern Iowa. His first team has four returners and 11 newcomers, and it plays its first season in the new Pac-12. The Aggies opened their exhibitions against Denver at the Spectrum. The regular season opens Nov. 2 against Idaho State.

(Editor's Note: The BYU–Nebraska game lands on the busiest weekend of the fall in Provo. Redwest is in Salt Lake the same night, and GameDay and Notre Dame follow on Saturday, so expect traffic and full parking lots around campus all weekend. If you can't get there, the game streams on ESPN+. The Oregon game is a Wednesday night, which makes it the easiest of the three for a family night out.)

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