Salt Lake City Has So Much More Culture to Offer Than “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Will Tell You

The Utah city has multiple festival offerings, including the recent Kilby Block Party and the Living Traditions Festival …

NEED TO KNOW

  • Salt Lake City raised its profile to reality TV fans with the debut of Secret Lives of MormonWives in 2024, but there’s another side to the city

  • Recently, Kilby Block Party brought indie music fans to the city, while the Living Traditions Festival celebrated cultures from around the world

  • The Utah capital also offers unique attractions like LGBTQ+ nightlife and scenic outdoor activities

If your knowledge of Salt Lake City is limited to what’s shown on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wivesor The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, you’re only getting half the story.

While the Utah capital is largely known for housing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints headquarters, immaculate skiing conditions and reality TV drama, it’s far more culturally vibrant than one might think

During a recent weekend, for example, Kilby Block Party music festival brought thousands of indie music fans to the Utah State Fairpark to see headlining performances from Turnstile, The xx and Lorde. Attendees (including influencer Emma Chamberlain) spanned all ages. Many enjoyed mosh pits and crowd surfing for the more raucous sets, while others took in the music while sipping on dirty sodas or craft beers. 

Beach Bunny at Kilby Block Party in Salt Lake CityCredit: Jim Bennett/Getty

Beach Bunny at Kilby Block Party in Salt Lake City<br>Credit: Jim Bennett/Getty

“It’s a huge privilege to get to play here. I’ve been waiting to play here for a long time,” said Lorde on stage at Kilby Block Party, which marked her first-ever show in Salt Lake City. “I always heard good things about you guys. I heard that you really like good music, and I feel that to be true tonight. I also feel like this is the absolute coolest festival ever.”

Kilby Block Party wasn’t the only festival happening in Salt Lake City over the weekend of May 15 to 17. In Washington Square Park, the Salt Lake City Arts Council and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums put on the Living Traditions Festival, a free three-day event celebrating arts, culture and craftwork from various cultures present in the city.

The Living Traditions Festival featured an international food market with offerings from the Basque Club of Utah, the Utah Argentina Alliance, Oaxaca en Utah, the Utah Ukranian Community and the Nepalese Association of Utah, among others.

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Attendees could also participate in demonstrations with craft artists making Armenian hand knotted carpets, Mexican piñatas, Belarusian woodcarvings, Native American beadwork, Japanese origami and more. The three-day event also included performances from New Orleans’ Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Alaskan performance group Panyua, as well as local acts like the Brazilian Brazuca Band and Japanese taiko drummer Kenshin Taiko.

Beyond the festivals, there’s lots of sightseeing to be done in Salt Lake City. Visitors can, of course, check out the LDS Church’s Temple Square — or head down the street to the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, which currently hosts the OUT LOUD 10-year anniversary exhibition featuring emerging artists’ poignant works exploring politics, religion and more through an LGBTQ+ lens. The city’s queer scene is quite vibrant overall, with bars like Club Try-Angles, The Suntrapp and more hosting nightly events for the community.

Millennials and Gen Z, at some point during their stay, will likely want to pay a visit to East High School, a main filming location of the High School Musical franchise, canonically set in Albuquerque, N.M., but filmed in Salt Lake City.

Utah Museum of Contemporary ArtCredit: Francis Dean/Corbis via Getty

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art<br>Credit: Francis Dean/Corbis via Getty

Tourists can then venture over to the nearby University of Utah campus, the Red Butte Garden & Arboretum or the Natural History Museum of Utah. All four destinations are also close to outdoor activities like the Hogle Zoo or various hiking trails with gorgeous nature views. For the less outdoorsy, the Van Ryder rooftop bar at the Le Méridian hotel has an outstanding view of the city.

While the popular reality TV shows set in Salt Lake City tend to focus on a small sector of its culture, the city’s approximately 111 square miles have much more to offer.

Read the original article on People

Source: Utah News

Hantavirus explained: What Utah residents should know about the cruise ship outbreak and local risks

A doctor from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah breaks down what hantavirus is, how it spreads, and why Utah residents should not panic — but should stay informed. SALT LAKE CITY — A recent hantavirus …

SALT LAKE CITY — A recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has raised concerns among Utah residents, with 3 Utahns currently in quarantine following exposure. Dr. Mike Woodruff of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah says the situation is being closely monitored, and the risk to the general public remains low.

Hantavirus is a respiratory virus most commonly contracted by breathing in dust contaminated with rodent urine or feces. It can cause lung inflammation and, in some cases, death. However, the strain linked to the cruise ship outbreak is the Andes virus, a person-to-person transmissible variant.

Watch: Health officials confirm 3 Utahns exposed to hatavirus

Health officials confirm 3 Utahns exposed to hantavirus, now in isolation

“Hantavirus is very different from coronavirus. It’s a respiratory virus that we usually get from rodent urine or rodent feces that we breathe into our lungs, causes inflammation, and can actually then be fatal. But there is a strain, and this is the one that’s on the cruise ship, it’s called the Andes virus, and it’s transmitted person to person,” Woodruff said.

Hantavirus infections are rare in the United States, with only about 30 cases reported nationwide each year. Cases are concentrated primarily in the western U.S.

“It’s really rare, actually. We only get about 30 cases a year across the entire US. It’s mostly in the western US, and this is usually the scenario — we’re cleaning out a garage, we’re sweeping up dust, and we breathe in that dust, and it has the virus in it,” Woodruff said.

For those concerned about exposure, Woodruff recommends specific precautions when working in areas where rodent droppings may be present.

“The best thing you can do is if you are doing something outside where you’re kicking up dust and you see that there are droppings from a rodent, either a mouse or a rat, you spray those down with a dilute bleach solution, and you actually don’t sweep it. You use a paper towel to clean it up, and you wear a mask and gloves,” Woodruff said.

The 3 Utahns exposed on the cruise ship are currently in quarantine. Woodruff noted that the virus has a lengthy incubation period spanning several weeks, but said the response from health officials has been reassuring.

“Those people are being watched carefully. We know who they all are, and we can keep a close eye on them and test them if they develop symptoms. So that’s going to keep a lid on this thing,” Woodruff said.

While hantavirus is drawing attention, Woodruff urged Utah residents to also focus on a more immediate local health concern.

“I think your time is probably better spent reading about and learning about measles, which actually, Utah is leading the nation right now in cases, and just learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from measles,” Woodruff said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Source: Utah News

Utah imam raises concerns about Islamophobia after deadly San Diego shooting

A Utah imam said a deadly shooting at a San Diego mosque Monday was not shocking news as he raised concerns about rising Islamophobia in the U.S.

WEST JORDAN — A local imam said a deadly shooting at a San Diego mosque on Monday was not shocking news as he raised concerns about rising Islamophobia in the U.S.

Police said the shooting left three people dead at the Islamic Center of San Diego, and two suspected teen shooters were later found dead themselves of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Detectives were reportedly investigating the ordeal as a hate crime until proven otherwise.

At the Utah Islamic Center, Imam Shuaib Din said violent acts like these have almost become the norm.

“People in our society are committed to bringing that violence inside places of peace,” Din said. “These were considered, at one point in time, safe places, sanctuaries.”

Din expressed concern about what he believed was a trend of rising Islamophobia since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.

“Whatever happens in the Middle East or any Muslim country in the world, it seems to affect the Muslims living in America,” Din said.

The imam said incidents like this one impact more than just the victims and their families, but also entire communities that surround them.

“It affects thousands of people — whoever belongs to that color or creed,” he said.

Din wasn’t the only leader locally to react to the deadly shootings.

Alex Shapiro, CEO of the United Jewish Federation of Utah, issued a statement condemning the attack.

“The United Jewish Federation of Utah is horrified by today’s deadly attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where three people were killed in an act of violence targeting a house of worship,” the statement read. “We mourn the lives lost and extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families, the Islamic Center community, and the Muslim community in San Diego and across the country.”

Imam Shuaib Din, at the Utah Islamic Center in West Jordan on Monday, talks about the shooting that left three people dead at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday.
Imam Shuaib Din, at the Utah Islamic Center in West Jordan on Monday, talks about the shooting that left three people dead at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday. (Photo: Wesley Barton, KSL)

Din himself was the target of a shooting in February at the beginning of Ramadan, but prosecutors later determined the incident was not a hate crime and that it stemmed from past interactions with the suspected shooter.

He acknowledged he didn’t have all the answers for what took place on Monday.

“People seem to feed off of the internet; their hate, their fears, their Islamophobia,” Din said.

He urged others to do their part to stop hate where they see it.

“I think the people of goodwill should come together and say, ‘Enough is enough,'” Din said. “Become the keyboard warrior and do the best they can to shut these people down and say, ‘No, you are wrong.'”

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

Source: Utah News

Judge sentences Utah man to prison for meeting minor online, traveling to Omaha to sexually assault the child

A DOUGLAS COUNTY JUDGE SENTENCES THIS MAN. THIS UTAH MAN AND A CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE. MARCUS STEWART WILL SPEND 40 TO 45 YEARS BEHIND BARS. BACK IN MARCH, HE PLEADED GUILTY TO FIRST DEGREE SEXUAL …

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Judge sentences Utah man to prison for meeting minor online, traveling to Omaha to sexually assault the child

TOMORROW. HIS FATHER IS EXPECTED IN COURT LATER THIS MONTH. A DOUGLAS COUNTY JUDGE SENTENCES THIS MAN. THIS UTAH MAN AND A CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE. MARCUS STEWART WILL SPEND 40 TO 45 YEARS BEHIND BARS. BACK IN MARCH, HE PLEADED GUILTY TO FIRST DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD. STEWART MET A MINOR ONLINE AND TRAVELED TO OMAHA, WHERE HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED THE VICTIM. DOUGLAS COUNTY ATTORNEY DON KLEIN SAYS THIS SENTENCE REFLECTS THE

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Judge sentences Utah man to prison for meeting minor online, traveling to Omaha to sexually assault the child

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Updated: 10:14 PM CDT May 19, 2026

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A judge sentenced a Utah man in a child sexual assault case.In March, Marcus Stewart pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual assault of a child after meeting a minor online and then traveling to Omaha where he sexually assaulted the child.On Tuesday, Stewart was sentenced to 40 to 45 years behind bars.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Utah man held without bond in Douglas County child sexual assault and enticement case“This sentence reflects the gravity of this offense and underscores our commitment to protecting children and seeking justice for victims. Cases involving crimes against children are among the most serious we prosecute. We are grateful to the investigators and prosecutors who worked diligently to bring this case to a resolution and to the victim and family for their courage throughout the process,” Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

A judge sentenced a Utah man in a child sexual assault case.

In March, Marcus Stewart pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual assault of a child after meeting a minor online and then traveling to Omaha where he sexually assaulted the child.

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On Tuesday, Stewart was sentenced to 40 to 45 years behind bars.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Utah man held without bond in Douglas County child sexual assault and enticement case

“This sentence reflects the gravity of this offense and underscores our commitment to protecting children and seeking justice for victims. Cases involving crimes against children are among the most serious we prosecute. We are grateful to the investigators and prosecutors who worked diligently to bring this case to a resolution and to the victim and family for their courage throughout the process,” Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said.

Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.

NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

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