Music ranging from country to pop to classical will fill outdoor venues across the state this summer. Outdoor summer festivals and concerts in Utah will be full-fledged beginning in June and lasting through early September.
Courtney Kendrick, co-founder and host of the Rooftop Concert Series in Provo, now in its sixth year, said outdoor concerts provide a "community feeling."
“You see people you don’t normally see, and you experience things you don’t normally experience," said Kendrick, a Provo-based blogger. "It’s an adventure in community living.”
The concertgoing experience can vary widely depending on venue and artist. But some events, such as the Deer Valley Music Festival, are appropriate for the entire family.
Renee Huang, director of public relations for Utah Symphony and Utah Opera, said she loves to bring her own family to the festival.
“I go with my kids, so we bring whatever food we want to eat, spread out a blanket, break out the glow sticks, and they run around and play with their friends,” Huang said. “It can be an event for the entire family, not just for couples or grown-ups. It can really be catered to any member of the family at any age.”
The Deer Valley Music Festival brings the Utah Symphony and various other artists together for a summer of concerts in Park City. The festival officially begins July 4 with a patriotic performance featuring Broadway stars Gary Mauer and Elizabeth Southard. The Deer Valley Music Festival runs through Aug. 14.
“Playing at Deer Valley is a lot of fun because we are surrounded by such a beautiful view,” said Caitlyn Valovick-Moore, a flutist with the Utah Symphony. “This season brings artists that will appeal to all tastes.”
Llewellyn Humphries, in his 26th year playing the French horn with the Utah Symphony, said it is exciting to play with big-name artists because the energy from the audience is “amazing.”
“In all of the years I have been playing at the festival, we have never canceled a concert, and the audience has always stayed and enjoyed themselves regardless of the rain,” Humphries said. “Audience participation is much easier at Deer Valley. I have lost count of the number of times audience members have started dancing on the hillside. A few times, our guest artists have invited the audience to come down to the front of the stage and dance. Talk about fun!"
Swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Disney’s "Fantasia" and Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth are a few performances that are scheduled to happen under the stars as part of the Deer Valley Music Festival.
“This is the second summer of having 12 performances for the festival,” said Natalie Cope, director of Deer Valley Music Festival’s community relations. “We have had 10 performances in the past, but we added two last summer because we are getting bigger every year.
“We have some tribute concerts that will be really fun for families. The kids love most of the outdoor shows because there is a lot of energy.”
There will also be six indoor chamber concerts in Park City as part of the festival — all performed at either the Deer Valley Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater or at St. Mary’s Church.
“They’re one of my favorite concerts because they open up all the windows and doors,” Cope said. “There’s a breeze that blows the classic chamber music through the church and into the meadow outside.”
The summer concert series around the state cater to a variety of audiences, from families with young children to more mature music fans.
The free Rooftop Concert Series kicks off June 5 with Joshua James and Sego & Quiet House. Concerts will take place at a new location this year — 100 West and Center Street in downtown Provo — and are held once a month.
“The atmosphere is very eclectic,” Kendrick said. “The series has a great vibe and it’s really safe. We get a lot of parents who bring their teenagers. It’s like hipster Provo meets BYU.”
New this year will be a Sodalicious trailer to provide refreshments.
At the same venue as the Deer Valley Music Festival, the St. Regis Big Stars, Bright Nights at Deer Valley series will run from June 30 through Sept. 6. The wide variety of performers include '90s rock favorites Smash Mouth, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Tonic, in addition to Taste of Treme and Grace Potter. Twenty percent of the tickets are offered for free to underprivileged members of the community.
Salt Lake City is home to many genres and venues throughout the summer. Events include the Twilight Concert Series, the Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series, Concerts in the Park and the Brown Bag Concert Series.
The Twilight Concert Series, presented by the Salt Lake City Arts Council, will be performed at Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City. The concerts, covering several genres of music, will be performed every Thursday beginning July 16 through the end of August.
Death Cab for Cutie, Tune-Yards, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Father John Misty are a few of the groups scheduled to perform. The gates open at 5 p.m., and the music will begin at 7 p.m.
The Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre is home to the annual Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series. This year's series includes performances from Lindsey Stirling, Harry Connick Jr. and CAKE. The series began May 22 and will last through Sept. 16. Prices vary for each performance.
Free concerts are held on Tuesday and Friday evenings at Brigham Young Historic Park, one block east of Salt Lake City’s Temple Square, beginning June 2 with Ted Yoder, national hammered dulcimer champion, and ending Aug. 28 with the British-style brass band Utah Premiere Brass. These family-friendly concerts range from Broadway to big band styles of music.
Beginning its 38th year this summer, the Brown Bag Concert Series will have performances at various downtown parks and plazas. The primary focus of this series is to promote local artists. These free concerts are held during the week at noon, and the full schedule will be announced by the end of June.
In addition to the Rooftop Concert Series, Utah County is home to Orem's Concerts in the Gardens and American Fork’s Concerts in the Park.
Concerts in the Gardens in Orem provides a wide variety of musical genres, including Irish, bluegrass, pop, soul, jazz, acoustic and folk. The free performances will be on June 5, June 19, June 26, July 10, July 31 and Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.
The American Fork Arts Council will present Concerts in the Park every Monday in June. On June 10, Michael Lucarelli will kick off the concert series. Common Ground with Lads in Plaid and the Timpanogos Symphony are the other groups performing later in the month.
Southern Utah has its own summer music festivals.
The 23rd annual Moab Music Festival, including music hikes in the red rocks and a family picnic concert, will begin in early September.
The weeklong Groovefest in Cedar City will begin in June. The Groovefest will feature performances from The Indulgers, Big Wild Wings, CAVE Women and Cale Tyson.
Tucked away in the mountains of the Sundance resort, the Bluebird Café Concert Series Bluebird Cafe Concert Series will feature country music beginning on July 10 at 8 p.m. The series is named after the famous café in Nashville where several major country artists began their careers.
More information about the individual concert series can be found online.
Email: kschwab@deseretnews.com