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City Cast Salt Lake

City Cast Salt Lake staff

March is here and bringing the end of Ramadan, its usual Madness 🏀, and maybe even 

. Here are ideas for making the most of the month in Salt Lake.

If you already miss Olympic ice dancing, Salt Lake is hosting the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships at the Maverik Center March 4-7. 

I recently learned that Fit2Recover offers nutritious meal prep! On Tuesdays, you can pick up 

. All while supporting their addiction recovery programs in the Ballpark neighborhood.

Salt Lake’s hottest new lunch (and dinner) spot is 

. The space is super sleek. Plus, five hand rolls and a beer for $36 (with tip) is a steal to me! Keep your eyes peeled for 

The 98th Academy Awards are Sunday, March 15, and the 

 a local watch party. Arrive in full glam; I’ll be doing red carpet interviews. (Really!)

The Central Wasatch Commission is the group tasked with implementing the Mountain Accord, a charter to balance competing interests in our precious Wasatch Mountains. 

 of their stakeholder council before March 20.

March is here and bringing the end of Ramadan, its usual Madness 🏀, and maybe even some snow. Check out these ideas for making the most of the month in Salt Lake.

Your Guide to Salt Lake City in March 2026

Your Guide to March in Salt Lake City

Find the best of everything that Salt Lake City has to offer.

Salt Lake’s Best

Salt Lake's Best

Terina Ria

According to Redfin, Salt Lake City is the most 

, with Sugar House earning a special shout out for its local businesses. Sounds like a great excuse to spend a day exploring. Here’s a guide to what to eat and do in Sugar House.

 the SLC brewing operation), this restaurant is still locally owned! When the weather’s warm, grab a seat on their patio and order fried pickles for the table.

Morning, afternoon, or evening enjoy some seriously scrumptious sandos. They’re closed Mondays and Tuesdays, though, so don’t come then. My personal fave is the chopped cheese (which is like a chopped-up cheeseburger on a hoagie).

Come for the burgers, and stay for the shakes. Hot tip: Order your milkshake without a lid. You’ll get two to three more inches of cold, creamy goodness.

Salt Lake’s own “School of Rock,” this nonprofit provides music opportunities to youth through affordable access to instruments, recording equipment, and music lessons. Adults can take lessons, too (the first one’s free)!

A rad skateboard/vinyl record shop that’s been a long-time staple in the Sugar House neighborhood. After grabbing a cool new record and tuning up your board, head to Fairmont skatepark. Salt Lake City recently released the final design for 

The go-to shop in Sugar House for vintage and costumes for more than 30 years!

According to Redfin, Salt Lake City is the most neighborly city in the country, with Sugar House earning a special shout out for its local businesses. Sounds like a great excuse to spend a day exploring. Here’s a guide to what to eat and do in Sugar House.

Visit These Sugar House Businesses

Everything to know about Salt Lake City neighborhoods: Where to go, eat, shop, drink, and more.

Salt Lake Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

Ali Vallarta

What could be more charming — and affordable — than cutting down your own Christmas tree? 

 from the Bureau of Land Management’s Salt Lake Field Office or 

 from the U.S. Forest Service and make some memories.

If your permit is from the U.S. Forest Service, you’ll be given a map with areas you can cut. If your permit is from the BLM, 

Pick from any species of tree, except the Ponderosa Pine.

 Cutting a wild Christmas tree improves forest health! The perfect Christmas tree is usually found in areas local forest health experts find will benefit from thinning.

Shake it. If needles start falling, keep movin’.

Cut close to the ground. Don’t leave a stump more than 6 inches tall.

Cut an extra 2 inches from the base of the trunk when you get home.

Place the tree at least 3 feet away from any heat sources (i.e. fireplaces, radiators).

Always turn off tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

Kick that sucker to the curb in January. Don’t let it dry up in your living room.

Other ideas for a festive December

How to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

What Salt Lakers have been wondering. We break down why things in Salt Lake City are the way they are and how they work.

Salt Lake, Explained

Every year I have grand ideas about Halloween costumes and subsequently wait too long to make any of them happen. In the spirit of changing that, let’s brainstorm some Salt Lake City-themed costumes for 2025.

The lore of the billboard matriarch has only grown since Julia Reagan died in 2024. Read up on 

 was recently unveiled, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a life-sized Tusky mask. What size jersey do you think he wears?

Take notes from our young friend above and do your best impression of closed roads and traffic cones. The construction is finally over on 2100 South, and the jury’s still out on whether it was worth it, but a little arts and crafts could capture hearts this Halloween.

 now that construction’s done. [Hey Salt Lake 📰]

 is so iconic, we put it in our skyline logo. So why not make a costume that lets people know how big a coat to wear without having to drive downtown.

, this has the potential for a great costume. Shout out to Arianna for her incredible interpretation at our 

RE: Salt Lake Halloween Costumes

Share an SLC-themed costume idea 👻

The best halloween costume ideas with a Salt Lake City theme.

Salt Lake City Halloween Costume Ideas 2025

The Most Salt Lake Halloween Costumes

Crisp fall weather is the perfect time to indulge in cheesy goodness, so here are some of the best cheese-based eats around the city, according to Hey Salt Lake readers.

Kicking off the classics is the grilled cheese sandwich and soup on the lunch menu at 

, recommended by reader Jeri T. The sando comes with both Vermont white cheddar and orange cheddar, accompanied by a roasted tomato and fennel soup.

Jeanette M. shouts out the sandwich and soup combo at 

. It looks like they use a panini press, an excellent way to elevate a grilled cheese.

Turn the flavor up to 11 with the Kimcheese from 

, sent in by Amanda H. It’s not on their current menu, but it does come back from time to time.

This is usually relegated to the kids menu, but I respect when restaurants turn it into a proper adult meal.

The first recommendation comes from Candace L., who loves the mac ‘n cheese at 

. It comes with smoked cheddar and Gruyère cheese, topped with everything pretzel crumbs, and served on a cast iron skillet.

Then there’s the loaded mac and cheese from 

, served with bacon, jalapeños, bread crumbs, and onion straws. “Nothing beats beer cheese and pasta when you're sad and/or in dire need of carbs,” says Audra C.

And we can’t forget about the whopping nine options at 

. Several of you mentioned the lobster mac and cheese and I concur.

A lot of us are mourning the cheese fries at Training Table, but Ashley W. recommends the ones from 

Zach S. wants you to try the cacio e pepe at 

. As someone who’s attempted to make this at home, big respect to any chef who gets it right. I hear the 

Lastly, Shannon K. loves the ham & cheese empanada from 

. and Devlin N. raves about the Paneer Tikka with homemade cheese at 

Big thanks to those of you who sent us recommendations. You’re the best 🩵

These are the best cheesy and cheese-based meals around Salt Lake City.

The Best Cheese Meals in Salt Lake City

The Best Cheesy Meals in Salt Lake City

City Cast Salt Lake podcast host Ali Vallarta here. My new year’s resolution is to visit all 511 parks in Salt Lake County, and I’m sharing stellar finds 

 on Salt Lake City’s Westside. Delightful bakeries, a busy skate park, and international gardens await you. Getting there is half the fun.

Jordan Park sits at the crossroads of the 

 (stretching from the Great Salt Lake to Utah Lake) and the 

 (connecting the east and west sides of SLC along 900 S.), which means there is a safe bike/running path whether you’re coming from the north, south, or east.

Fun fact: Jordan Park’s bike polo court just hosted the 

North American Hardcourt Bike Polo Association championships

At the corner of 900 S. and 900 W. is Salt Lake City’s best tres leches cake. Stop by for picnic materials like Mexican sandwich rolls or a sweet treat. Open every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

If you’re taking the 9 Line, you’ll find Forty Three Bakery just two blocks east of Jordan Park. They serve brunch 

Our botanical garden with displays representing different countries is pretty, and free! But my favorite thing is how different 

SLC Council recently approved $325,000 for updates to the gardens, so keep an eye out for improvements.

I was slightly devastated to learn a public pool and bathhouse were demolished to make way for this skatepark in 2001, but I love how busy and joyful it always is.

: The Jordan River Trail has been a recent site of contention in Salt Lake City. 

Learn more on the City Cast Salt Lake podcast

How to spend an afternoon in Salt Lake City? Ride your bike to Jordan Park for a pastry and to smell the roses.

The Salt Lake City Park Home to Skateboards, Bakeries, and Rose Gardens

How to Spend the Perfect Day Around Jordan Park

Salt Lake Parks

Parks question

Ask away

Whether it's off-leash dog parks, pickleball courts, pools or playgrounds, we are ranking the best parks in the valley, from Herriman to Salt Lake City, and everywhere in between.

Every Park SLC: Visiting All 511 Parks in Salt Lake County

Every Park SLC

The month celebrating the experiences, cultures, and contributions of 

 in the U.S. began Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15. Hispanic Heritage Month was 

Why does this heritage month start in the middle of September?

a significant period in the region’s liberation from its colonizers

, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua declared independence from Spain on Sept. 15, 1821. Mexico celebrates independence on Sept. 16 and Chile on Sept. 18. Belize declared independence from the United Kingdom on Sept. 21, 1981.

To honor the month and support the community, here’s where to celebrate, dine, and shop around Salt Lake:

On Friday, enjoy the sounds of Latin America and Spain at 

 at Abravanel Hall. On Saturday, head to the plaza for food vendors, artisan crafts, and dancers before the show. 

 ends with a carne asada in the great outdoors. 

Learn traditional crafts from Oaxaca, Mexico

, like piñatas and alebrijes, at the Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum. 

head over to America First Field to watch Real Salt Lake

 with special performances, activities for all ages, and delicious food. 

Experience art and poetry at Artes de México en Utah’s 

12th Annual Sor Juana LatinArte Celebration

Proyecciones spanish-language acting school


Plus, listen to City Cast Salt Lake discuss 

assimilation in language and owning your Latinidad. 

Hispanic Heritage Month businesses and events

What or who did we miss?

The Best Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City just unveiled the design for a new, $2 million playground at Liberty Park. It will be an all-abilities park! But what does that actually mean? I asked SLC’s ADA coordinator, Ashley Lichtle.

“Removing any physical barriers makes a park ADA-compliant. But removing physical barriers doesn’t provide opportunities for active participation or social inclusion. This is where inclusive design comes into play (pun intended)!”

According to the 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design,* everyone should feel included, smart, independent, safe, active, and comfortable in a play area. Let’s take thrill as an example: Your thrill might be a zip line, mine might be climbing a dirt mound. An all-abilities playground allows for people of all ages and abilities to get their kicks.

Fun fact: These were co-developed by Utah State University.

$2 million of the $85 million parks bond passed by SLC voters is being applied to a new playground in Liberty Park. The park is 

, like a Chill Zone, Challenge Zone, and Thrill Zone. All-abilities elements include sensory gardens, a zipline with full-body support, wheelchair-accessible spin carousels, caregiver accommodations, and Braille and American Sign Language incorporation.

The new Liberty Park playground won’t break ground before 2025. In the meantime, find cheap thrills at some 

: Bickley Park in South Salt Lake, Draper City Park, Sierra Newbold Playground in West Jordan, and Magna Regional Park. 

Salt Lake’s ADA office wants to know what your neighborhood park needs to be inclusive? Email 

Salt Lake Plans for Inclusive Park Thrills

Think of this as your Hey Salt Lake community bulletin board: A dedicated space for volunteer opportunities, resources, fundraisers, and other ways to help your neighbors.

Salt Lake County Animal Services is over max capacity of dogs. If you or someone you know is looking to 

, consider adopting. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 on North Temple between State Street and 600 W. in Salt Lake City. Eight artists will be paid a $1,500 commission. Apply by Friday, Aug. 9.

See plans for the brand new park housing this installation and daylighting City Creek on the Folsom Trail at our 801 Day party! 

Is your blood type O+? It’s in demand at the University of Utah hospital and Huntsman Cancer Institute. Donate blood locally at 

. It only takes about 35 minutes, and your blood stays in our community.

 for Ogden or SLC Twilight, a U of U game, or the Craft Lake City DIY Festival this summer. Ride for free, and you won’t need a designated driver!

Call for SLC Artists

Hidden Waters Call For Artists

Salt Lake City volunteering opportunities, donation drives, and more.

Help Your Salt Lake Neighbors

Help Your Neighbors

Tan France is one of Salt Lake’s most famous, and perhaps most gracious residents. The fashion icon, designer, entrepreneur, and TV personality has lived here for the past two decades, so we just had to get 

 on all things Salt Lake City. Here are just a few of the many places and attributes he can’t get enough of: 

“Oh, it's not a rapid-fire, I'm gonna have to give you two or three. 

, actually, is my favorite. But I’m often at 

 because my son’s favorite thing is their waffles with berries.”

“Gosh, that’s a tough one. I’m going to say 

. She was my former business partner and we created a brand together called Rachel Parcell. She's an influencer and she created a clothing brand that I think is really chic.

 cookies. I only found out a year ago that the dude who owns it [...] lives in Utah, and I do love a Crumbl cookie.”

. To get to the top, it takes about three hours and it’s gorgeous. I don’t think a lot of people know about it. So you don’t pass many people on there, and that’s so nice.”

“I love how kind people are. A lot of people assume that with me being in Utah, that I get a lot of abuse. The reason why I live here is nobody's ever said anything homophobic or racist to me.

“Almost every month I will get somebody saying something disgusting to me, anywhere else. That has never happened here, and that's why I love this place so much. That makes me feel really good about myself. And I know that some people have experienced terrible hate here. But for me personally, I've been treated beautifully, and way before I became Tan France.”

Plus, Tan France rates the Jazz rebrand!

Tan France, the fashion icon, designer, entrepreneur, and TV personality has lived here for the past two decades, so we just had to get France’s recommendations on all things Salt Lake City. Check out just a few of the many places and attributes he can’t get enough of.

Rapid-Fire Thoughts With Tan France, ‘Queer Eye’ Star and Salt Laker

Make Salt Lake City better, one neighbor at a time. Find volunteering opportunities, ways to get involved and give back, and more.

things to do

Your Guide to March in Salt Lake City

Visit These Sugar House Businesses

How to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

Latest articles

Your Guide to March in Salt Lake City

Visit These Sugar House Businesses

How to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

The Most Salt Lake Halloween Costumes

The Best Cheesy Meals in Salt Lake City

How to Spend the Perfect Day Around Jordan Park

The Best Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Salt Lake City

Latest articles

The Most Salt Lake Halloween Costumes

The Best Cheesy Meals in Salt Lake City

How to Spend the Perfect Day Around Jordan Park

The Best Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake Plans for Inclusive Park Thrills

Hidden Waters Call For Artists

Rapid-Fire Thoughts With Tan France, ‘Queer Eye’ Star and Salt Laker