CEDAR CITY — The Utah Shakespeare Festival is currently enjoying its 56th season as the Beehive State's only theater festival dedicated to performing the works of the Bard, with a Tony award to boot.
As you head to Cedar City, we are here to help guide you through the second, third and fourth most important questions as you plan your trip. (We assume your first question is what plays you should see. Check out our reviews to answer that essential quarry.)
Where to eat
Cedar City has made an attempt to raise its culinary game in recent years, and festivalgoers will not go hungry nor will their taste buds be disappointed as they eat up at the following restaurants between plays.
Breakfast/lunch
Main Street Grill: (155 N Main St, Cedar City, 435-586-8389): Main Street Grill is the quintessential diner, complete with regulars and a wait staff who knows their orders. Portions are hearty and the food is solid: thick, country cut bacon, perfectly cooked shredded hash browns and real eggs, and not those terrible egg substitutes. You won't find anything unique here, but the food is good and they have free Wi-Fi. Summer mornings are busy, so try to arrive a little early.
Pastry Pub: (86 W Center St, Cedar City, 435-867-1400): A student favorite, Pastry Pub offers salads, sandwiches, hot meals, and of course, pastries. Its California bagel sandwich ($5.75) wasn't exactly a bagel, more of a thick white bun, but it did have nice thick slices of avocado, which made up for its bread deficiencies. This is the place to go if you're in a hurry and need a sweet snack, but don't expect the best sandwich of your life here or even the second best.
Lunch/dinner
Brick House Cafe: (86 S Main Street, 435-586-5344): Probably best-known for its burgers (it offers nine specialty burgers) and uniquely flavored homemade fudge, Brick House also has sandwiches, a salad bar, homemade chilli and thick, home cut french fries and fry sauce. The burgers and sandwiches are tasty and well-made, and the light eaters in your group won't be disappointed with the salad bar ($6.99). On hot days, the giant quart jars of raspberry and strawberry lemonade ($3.99) taste like heaven.
Centro Woodfired Pizzeria: (50 W Center St, Cedar City, 435-867-8123): This unlikely hipster enclave in the heart of Cedar City has excellent service and offers eight 12-inch speciality (as well as custom-made) wood-fired pizzas, salads, starters and craft sodas. Do not attempt a salad by yourself. These family-style lettuce mounds are meant to be shared, although your group may fight over Centro's homemade sourdough croutons. During fig season, Centro offers a pizza-lovers dream: roasted fig, prosciutto and fontina cheese with goat cheese crumbled on top ($15). The sweetness of the figs offsets the salty cheese and cured meat perfectly, turning the whole pie into a taste bud's party.
Before you go, do yourself a favor and end your meal with the vanilla gelato topped with a savory balsamic reduction and sea salt ($5). The tangy reduction pairs perfectly with the creamy gelato, and the salt gives additional life to the flavors.
La Casa Don Miguel: (453 S Main St, Cedar City, 435-586-6855): Diners get a basket of complimentary chips — nice, thick homemade triangles — with both tomatillo and pico de gallo salsas when they arrive at Don Miguel's, but try not to fill up on chips. Portions here are big and you'll want room for your entrée. The restaurant's two most popular dishes are Chicken Tacos al Carbon ($13.99) and Pollo Fundido ($10.99) and both delicious dishes are served with sizable scoops of beans (either refried or black), Mexican rice, guacamole, sour cream and a nice little scoop of a fresh sweet coleslaw.
The fried ice cream ($4) tastes a little like a deconstructed churro with the addition of vanilla ice cream, caramel, chocolate and strawberry sauce, whipped cream and plenty of cinnamon. The quality of the ice cream was pretty mediocre.
Park Place Eatery: (23 W University Blvd, Cedar City, 435-359-2868): New in 2017, Park Place Eatery is making a good first impression. Choose between seven artisanal sandwiches (or create one of your own) on homemade sourdough or — praise the world — brioche. They also make sweet buttery crepes with a variety of fresh fillings. Its stand-out sandwiches come with kettle chips and if you need something sweet, try any one of the baked goods — all were delicious, especially the raisin, oatmeal walnut cookies.
Utah Shakespeare Festival food: Touted as "world famous" by the hawkers who sell them, Utah Shakespeare Festival's sweet tarts may not be well-known the whole world over, but it's not because they aren't deserving. Visitors can choose from lemon cream cheese, plain cream cheese, a couple of different types of berries, apple, chocolate as well as two tarts new to this year: s'mores and Oreo. Our recommendations? Apple, summer berries or lemon cream cheese. ($3 each or two for $5.)
In keeping with the British food theme, two food stands next to the Greenshow lawn sell an entrée ($10) and a Greenshow Box Lunch ($8), which includes a sandwich, chips, fruit, cookie and drink. We tried the bangers and mash entrée and were happily satisfied by the sausages, mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe. *There are many more excellent places to eat in and around Cedar City that we haven't mentioned. Please share your recommendations in our comments section!*
What to do
Naturally, you'll spend most of your time at the Utah Shakespeare Festival watching plays, but even the most dedicated theatergoer has to fill time between production. Here are some options for to keep you entertained between acts.
Thunderbird Garden Trail: (E 900 N Cedar City): A very short drive from the Festival grounds, the Thunderbird Garden Trail starts behind Cedar Ridge Golf Course, quickly putting hikers on a fairly easy red dirt trail with stunning scenery. This is a great hike for stretching your legs after all your theater sitting.
Cedar City's Main Street: (between 200 North and Center St. on Main St., Cedar City): The city's adorable, historic Main Street is host to a number of charming local shops from Stork on Main, a baby boutique you'd expect to find in Park City to the home decor store Wood N Lace Place Boutique to Bulloch Drug — where you can get ice cream, hand-mixed sodas, plenty of candy as well as the usual drugstore fare and gifts — to Main Street Books, a wonderful used book store packed with enticing tomes and comfy chairs. Best of all, you can walk to all of them from the Festival grounds.
Southern Utah Museum of Art: (13 S 300 W, Cedar City, 435-586-5432, free): New in 2016, this open, airy gallery is a beautiful setting to see works of art by local and national artists. Exhibitions change regularly, so check the museum's website to see what they have on display.
Cedar City’s Historic Rock Church: (300 S Cove Dr, Cedar City, 800-453-3860): Dedicated in 1934, this beautiful Depression-era meeting house was built as a civic center as well as a place of worship. Although the building predates the Utah Shakespeare Festival by 28 years, the architects must have been inspired by something in the air, as the Tudor-style building and Gothic clock tower would not look out of place across the street at the Festival. During the summer month (through mid-August) from Wednesday through Saturdays, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., local volunteers will happily share with visitors the building's history and show you the chapel and out-of-use rock baptismal font and Depression-era mural. The tour makes for a nice, short escape from the heat.
Festival activities
The Greenshow: (7 p.m., Monday - Saturday, lawn next to Englestad Theater, free): The 2017 Greenshow rotates between three alternating shows themed Laughter, Love and Adventure and features a cast of eight performers. The productions are short and are largely centered on corny songs, bad jokes, and — depending on your feeling — forced audience participation. The Greenshow isn't Shakespeare, but it is free entertainment in a pleasant setting and there's a good chance your young children will enjoy themselves. The shows seem to cater to them and they were the audience members most eager to participate.
Repertory Magic: (4:30 p.m., Mondays and Fridays, Randall L. Jones Theatre): Watch the stage crew quickly and carefully transform the Randall L. Jones Theatre stage from one set to another with commentary and explanation from Production Manager Becky Merold. You can also watch our time-lapse videos here.
Play Seminars: (9 a.m. and 10 a.m., Sunday-Saturday, Balcony Bards Seminar Grove from June 30 - Sept. 23; Frehner Rehearsal/Education Hall Sept 24 - Oct. 21): Led by three professors with extensive Shakespeare knowledge, these morning seminars give theater patrons a chance to ask question about the previous night's performances. Dr. Kate McPherson (UVU), Dr. Kate Moncrief (Washington College) and Dr. Ace G. Pilkington (Dixie State) lead the discussions.
Production Seminars: (11 a.m., with rotating locations and schedule. Check the Shakespeare Festival's calendar for more information): These insightful seminars include the Props, Costume and Actor Seminars, giving theatergoers insights into the complicated world of theater magic. Led by Utah Shakespeare Festival staff, these interesting discussions are a great way to learn more about how the plays are produced.
Play Orientations: (1:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Monday - Saturday, Balcony Bards Seminar Grove): Dr. Kate McPherson (UVU), Dr. Kate Moncrief (Washington College) or Dr. Ace Pilkington (Dixie State) discuss either the matinee or evening production, preparing theatergoers for the plays.
For a full list of all Utah Shakespeare Festival activities, go to: www.bard.org/events/
Where to stay
Home to both the Shakespeare Festival and Southern Utah University, Cedar City has its share of decent motels, but don't expect any five-star hotels in this city of about 29,000 residents. Your best sleeping options are the local charming (and tasty) bed and breakfasts, all conveniently located so guests can walk to the Festival. Note: All of these B&B's book up early, so be sure to plan ahead.
Anniversary House: (133 S 100 W, Cedar City, 435-865-1266): With five themed rooms priced between $99 to $139 per night, the Anniversary House serves a full gourmet breakfast daily.
Amid Summers Inn: (140 S 100 W, Cedar City, 435-586-2600): Amid Summers Inn (get it?) offers 10 rooms with names like "Enchanted Memories" and "Peaches N Cream" that run from $109 to $159 per night and, according to its website, has been awarded a number of "best-of" awards.
Bard's Inn: (150 S 100 W, Cedar City, 435-586-6612): The Bard's Inn has eight rooms named, appropriately, after Shakespeare's characters and run from $119 to $139 a night, including a breakfast buffet. The Inn also offers a guest house that can sleep up to seven people for $159 a night, which includes a kitchen but no meals in the main house.
Big Yellow Inn: (234 S 300 W, Cedar City, 435-586-0960): Both big — 12 themed rooms — and a lovely pale yellow, the Big Yellow Inn's rooms run between $99 to $199 per night with a breakfast buffet included.
The Garden Cottage: (16 N 200 W St, Cedar City, 435-586-4919): The Garden Cottage claims to be the Festival's closest B&B in Cedar City and certainly seems to have the most flowers in its front yard. The Cottage has five rooms priced between $119 to $129 and they serve a full breakfast daily at 8:30 a.m.
The Iron Gate: (100 N 200 W St, Cedar City, 435-867-0603): Hollyhocks crowd the eponymous iron gate in front of this seven room B&B. Rooms are priced from $129 to $159 and for breakfast, it serves a sweet and savory entrées along with a variety of homemade baked goods and fresh fruit, often sourced from local farms.