Festivals, Fairs & Attractions

Cornbelly's Fall Festival

Lehi · Through Oct. 31

The Wasatch Front's big fall-festival tradition: a giant corn maze, pumpkin patch and a long list of family activities on the Thanksgiving Point grounds. A second Cornbelly's runs in Spanish Fork on the same closing date.

When

Lehi: Sept. 21 – Oct. 31, 2026 · Spanish Fork: Sept. 4 – Oct. 31, 2026

Where

3003 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi

Pumpkin Days at Wheeler Farm

Murray · Through Oct. 31

A low-key, budget-friendly fall outing on a working county farm. Pumpkin patch entry is free; a maze ticket adds the corn pit, duck races and a wagon or cow-train ride. Watch for Dog Daze in the Maze on Oct. 26.

When

Sept. 25 – Oct. 31, 2026

Where

Wheeler Historic Farm, 6351 S. 900 E., Murray

Ogden Mountain Film Festival

Ogden · Thurs., Nov. 5

A night of short films shot in the mountains above Ogden, covering hiking, trail running, mountain biking, skiing, climbing and fishing, many made by local adventurers. Presented by the Trails Foundation of Northern Utah, with all proceeds going to trail maintenance and stewardship across the region.

When

Thurs., Nov. 5, 2026 · doors 6:15 p.m., show 7 p.m.

Where

Peery's Egyptian Theater, 2415 Washington Blvd., Ogden

Tickets

$20; everyone 5 and up needs a ticket

Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point

Lehi · Nov. 12 – Jan. 9

Ashton Gardens turns into a walk-through holiday light show after dark, one of Utah County's signature winter outings.

When

Nov. 12, 2026 – Jan. 9, 2027 · evenings; closed Sundays, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Where

Ashton Gardens, 3900 N. Garden Drive, Lehi

Tickets

Public prices not yet posted

Aquarium Lantern Festival

Draper · Nov. 6 – Jan. 9

Glowing lantern sculptures fill the grounds of Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on winter evenings. It's a separate ticket from daytime aquarium admission.

When

Nov. 6 – Jan. 9 · 5:30–10 p.m.

Where

12033 S. Lone Peak Pkwy., Draper

Red Butte Garden & Arboretum

Salt Lake City · Open year-round

Utah's state arboretum covers 100 acres in the foothills just above the University of Utah. Themed gardens, a beloved Children's Garden, hundreds of thousands of spring bulbs and a nationally known summer concert amphitheater make it one of Salt Lake's most cherished places, and an annual membership one of its best values.

What to do: Stroll themed gardens, including the Water Conservation and Fragrance gardens. Take the kids through the Children's Garden. Catch a summer show in the Red Butte Garden Concert Series.

Where

300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108

Call

801-585-0556

Hours

Oct.–Dec. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Jan.–Feb. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; longer hours April–September. Closes at 5 p.m. on concert days. Closed Thanksgiving and Dec. 24–Jan. 1.

Admission

Adults $18; seniors 65+, military and students $15; youth 3–17 $10; 2 and under free. Members free.

Utah's Hogle Zoo

Salt Lake City · Open daily

Perched at the mouth of Emigration Canyon since 1931, Hogle Zoo is 42 acres of tree-shaded walkways and one of the country's AZA-accredited zoos. The African Savanna, Asian Highlands, Rocky Shores and Wild Utah exhibits keep it fresh for families who've been coming for generations.

What to do: Don't miss a zookeeper talk at Wild Utah, the zoo's three-acre home for native wildlife like cougars and foxes, many of them rescues that couldn't survive in the wild. Zookeepers share stories about the animals in their care, and the talks are free with admission (check the daily schedule on the zoo's Instagram or at the kiosks inside). Then watch the polar bears and sea lions at Rocky Shores. In summer, feed giraffes at Twiga Terrace and cool off at the free Lighthouse Point Splash Pad. Active-duty military, veterans and reservists get $3 off with valid ID.

Where

2600 Sunnyside Ave. (840 South), Salt Lake City, UT 84108

Call

801-584-1700

Hours

Daily 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Closed Dec. 24–25 and Dec. 31–Jan. 1.

Admission

Oct. 1–April 30: adults (13+) $22.95, kids 3–12 $18.95. Summer (May–Sept.): $26.95 / $21.95. Save $2 per ticket online. 2 and under free.

Tracy Aviary at Liberty Park

Salt Lake City · Open daily

Tracy Aviary is one of only two accredited standalone aviaries in the United States and has been a Salt Lake institution since 1938. Its 8 tree-shaded acres inside Liberty Park are home to more than 300 birds from around the world, many of them endangered, set among curated gardens.

What to do: Catch the daily bird shows and keeper talks, and visit the flamingos, owls and a wetlands area tied to Great Salt Lake ecology. The Lorikeet Adventure feeding experience ($5) is temporarily closed; check before you go. Tracy Aviary also runs the Nature Center at Pia Okwai on the Jordan River in South Salt Lake.

Where

589 E. 1300 S., Salt Lake City, UT 84105 (southwest corner of Liberty Park)

Call

801-596-8500

Hours

Daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (last admission 4 p.m.). Summer Mondays open until 8 p.m., with $5 admission after 5 p.m. June–August. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Admission

Adults (13+) $14.95; seniors, students, veterans and military $12.95; kids 3–12 $10.95; under 2 free.

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium

Draper · Open daily

After a major expansion, Loveland is now the fifth-largest aquarium in the nation, and its scale surprises first-time visitors. The centerpiece is a 300,000-gallon shark habitat with a 40-foot walk-through tunnel. The new Sam & Aline Skaggs Science Learning Center opened Feb. 20, 2026, adding an event center and education hub.

What to do: Walk the shark tunnel, visit the penguins, and explore Expedition Asia, an indoor cloud forest featuring clouded leopards, a Komodo dragon, a tree kangaroo, small-clawed otters and a canopy climbing zone for kids. Penguin and stingray encounters are bookable add-ons. Monday evenings bring extended hours and lighter crowds.

Where

12033 S. Lone Peak Pkwy., Draper, UT 84020

Call

801-355-3474

Hours

Mon. 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Tues.–Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Last entry one hour before close. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day; shortened hours Christmas Eve.

Admission

Demand-based pricing, about $17.95–$27.95 for adults. Teens, students, seniors and military save $3; kids 3–12 save $5; under 2 free. Buy ahead to save.

Thanksgiving Point: Ashton Gardens & Curiosity Farms

Lehi · Closed Sundays

The Museum of Ancient Life is listed on our Museums & Galleries page.

The Thanksgiving Point campus in Lehi is one of the most ambitious family destinations in the West, easily a full day without repeating yourself.

Ashton Gardens spreads across 50 acres and features the largest manmade waterfall in America, Monet Lake with its water lilies and koi, cascading Italian stone fountains, a rose garden, outdoor concerts and movies, and the springtime Tulip Festival. Golf carts, electric scooters and wheelchairs are available to rent.

Curiosity Farms (formerly Farm Country) is a hands-on farm experience where kids can milk a cow, ride a pony, brush goats and take a train ride, alongside exhibits on modern growing and farm technology.

Where

Ashton Gardens: 3900 N. Garden Drive, Lehi, UT 84048

Call

801-768-2300

Hours

Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–8 p.m. in season; closed Sundays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Admission

Ashton Gardens adults $24 online ($27 at the gate); Curiosity Farms adults $24 online. The All-Access Pass ($39 adult) covers all seven venues in one day. Reduced off-season pricing October–March.

Wheeler Historic Farm

Murray · Free to enter

One of the Salt Lake Valley's quietly beloved spots, Wheeler Historic Farm is a 75-acre working farm run as a public park by Salt Lake County, and it's free to walk the grounds. The land has been farmed since the mid-1800s and includes a restored Victorian farmhouse begun in 1896, meadows, wooded trails and a full cast of farm animals.

What to do: Visit the cows, horses, chickens, pigs, sheep, goats and rabbits. Take a wagon ride, watch a milking demonstration and tour the farmhouse.

Where

6351 S. 900 E., Murray, UT 84121

Call

385-468-1755

Hours

Grounds open daily, dawn to dusk. Office Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Admission

Free to enter. Wagon rides $3 (10-ride card $25); milking demonstration $1; farmhouse tours $4 ages 13+, $2 ages 3–12.

Utah Olympic Park

Park City · Open daily

Built for the 2002 Winter Olympics and still an official U.S. Olympic training site, Utah Olympic Park is one of the most unusual destinations in the Mountain West. The nearly 400-acre venue holds one of only four sliding tracks in North America, six Nordic ski jumps and two free museums. With the 2034 Winter Games coming to Salt Lake City, its story is far from finished.

Year-round: The Eccles 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum and the Alf Engen Ski Museum are free and open daily. Hourly guided tours (ticketed) take you behind the scenes.

Summer: The Gold Pass (from about $80) unlocks the alpine slide, extreme tubing, ziplines, ropes courses, the Drop Tower and airbag jumps. Friday and Saturday evenings bring the Flying Ace All-Stars, Olympic and national-team aerialists launching off the jumps into the freestyle pool. The summer bobsled ride, piloted down the actual 2002 track, is the signature add-on.

Where

3419 Olympic Pkwy., Park City, UT 84098 (off I-80 at Kimball Junction)

Call

435-658-4200

Hours

Venue and museums daily 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Summer activities roughly late May–September.

Admission

Museums free. Tours, bobsled and activity passes ticketed separately.

Lagoon Amusement Park

Farmington · Season ends Nov. 8

Lagoon has been part of Wasatch Front family life since 1886, a decade before statehood. Today it blends century-old classics with modern thrill coasters, plus a six-acre waterpark (Lagoon-A-Beach, included with admission in summer), Pioneer Village, live entertainment and the Frightmares Halloween season.

What to do: Thrill-seekers head for Cannibal, with its 208-foot elevator lift and a dive underground, or the launch coaster Wicked. Families gravitate to Pioneer Village and the hand-carved carousel, built in 1893 and spinning at Lagoon since 1906.

Where

375 N. Lagoon Drive, Farmington, UT 84025

Call

801-451-8000

Season

Spring through early November; reopens spring 2027

Admission

Single-day tickets about $90 online ($99.95 at the gate) for guests 48" and up; lower junior and senior rates. Season Passports from $227.95. Parking $20. Under 24 months free.

This Is the Place Heritage Park

Salt Lake City · Grounds free

At the mouth of Emigration Canyon, near where the pioneers entered the valley, This Is the Place is a sprawling living-history park and one of Salt Lake's best family days out. Costumed interpreters bring 19th-century Utah to life in Heritage Village's historic homes and shops, a Native American Village explores the cultures of Utah's first peoples, and monuments dot the grounds.

What to do: Ride the train and ponies, visit the animals, and watch pioneer trades in the village shops. Pioneer Day (July 24) is one of the park's biggest celebrations, and summer's Huntsman Day brings free admission and free ice cream.

Where

2601 E. Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City, UT 84108 (next to Hogle Zoo)

Call

801-582-1847

Hours

Grounds open dawn to dusk. Fall village experiences Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., closed Sundays. Pioneer Center and gift shop open daily.

Admission

No fee to enter the park. Optional passes (fall season): Daily Experience Pass $25, Fall Fun Pass $15, train only $5.