Entertainment & Arts

With a season that goes from March through October, Utah's MLS team, Real Salt Lake is a great team to cheer for. Especially because they are awesome and their stadium is fantastic. 

October-April is JAZZ season in Utah (unless they make it to the NBA Playoffs... which they have a shot at this year again!). With awesome specials and some pretty cheap tickets, there's no reason not to cheer on our hometown team!!! 

Ready to enter a whole new world? Check out roller derby. These girls know how to whip it, rock it, and roll faster than a speeding bullet (ok, not really... but they are fassst).

Hockey Season runs from October-April, so while the weather is cold outside, check out the action on the ice inside!

From football to gymnastics, there is no shortage of awesome athletic events at the University of Utah. 

April-September, there are bees games going on all the time. And they frequently have fireworks after the games or other fun promotions... like Star Wars night, Sandlot night, and Harry Potter night. 

While Brewvies isn't live theater, it's a unique experience that I think makes it a wonderful date night. They show current movies, but what I love most is when they show older movies for their Free Movie Monday or their weekend brunches! 

This new, gorgeous theater in downtown SLC is where you go if you want to see the off-broadway touring productions of some of the best Broadway plays. 

This local theater company just built an awesome new theater-in-the-round.  Their productions are always amazing. The quality of the productions are as professional as it gets. 

Ballet West boasts a rich and varied repertoire, elegant and versatile artists and an American style and legacy that is as dynamic, expansive and unexpected as the Rocky Mountain region it represents.

The Utah Opera produce's entertainment with artistic standards of distinction and with a fresh vibrancy – mixing new works with the classics.

Pioneer Theatre Company offers a wide range of exceptional theatre exploring the breadth of the human experience — challenging the intellect, stirring emotions, igniting imaginations and encouraging conversation. And with a killer lineup this season, you need to consider them for some date nights!!

This awesome dance company puts on hit productions like Thriller, The Redux-NutCracker, and Shut up and Dance. They specialize in contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop dance. 

This theater company puts on four productions a year and have been entertaining local audiences since 2004. They are worth checking out!

Ready for some spoofs?! The plays at Desert Star Theater are ready to poke a little fun at pop-culture, movies, musicals... and of course cultural cliches. And... it's a dinner theater! Two birds... one stone!!!

This theater is the home of the Utah Opera and Ballet West. 

SLAC produces seasons of thoughtful, provocative, Regional and World Premieres; nurtures, supports and develops a community of professional artists; produces and supports emerging playwrights; and makes a significant contribution to our community 

With locations in Downtown SLC, Ogden, and West Jordan, there are always fun and entertaining shows to see. 

With shows every Friday night in Centerville, make this comedy improve group part of your next easy to plan date night! 

Utah's first (and, they claim to be the finest!) improve comedy troupe. 

Two teams of improv all-stars compete every Thursday-Saturday to prove that they are the funniest of them all (for that night, at least). This club is in Provo and has a bar to match- candy and soft-drinks. 

Also in Provo, this comedy club brings in talented comedians from all over the country. Don't want to drive down? That's ok... you can stream all their shows from their app!

Small and intimate, you'd be surprised by the big bands that roll through this music venue.

This outdoor amphetheater on the west side of SLC valley has some amazing concerts every spring, summer, and fall. With beautiful views of the Wasatch front and top-notch talent passing through, you need to check it out.

Opened in January of 2006, The Depot quickly became the premier venue for national touring acts. The Depot is a unique venue located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. This 1,200-capacity live music venue is the perfect space for fans and artists to connect on an intimate level. 

Utah's biggest arena, hosting the BIGGEST acts that come through town.  With bands like U2 and Imagine Dragons selling out this massive space, you can expect world-class musical talent at the concerts here.

Another huge arena, The Maverik Center in West Valley is an awesome place to see bands of all genres... from The Zak Brown Band to Tool to James Taylor. 

Ready to see the next-big-thing? Chances are they are performing at The Complex (we saw Imagine Dragons here in the spring of 2013 on their debut album tour). This is a big-ish venue that attracts up and coming bands and musicians.

Another intimate venue bringing amazing musicians from near and far to SLC.

 Voted one of Salt Lake’s best live music venue, this 299-capacity venue caters to live music lovers with an intimate experience unrivaled in Utah. 21+ with a full bar. 

Home of the Utah Symphony, this beautiful venue in the heart of downtown SLC always has amazing and talented performers who will entertain and uplift you. 

This isn't your grandmother's symphony. The Utah Symphony performs everything from Mozart to the music of Kiss, from Beethoven to Nintendo. They even accompany some of your favorite movies, perfectly performing iconic cinematic scores. They also perform everywhere from their home in Abravanel Hall to the waterfall amphitheater at Thanksgiving Point and Deer Valley's Snow Amphitheater. 

With two floors, two patios, and by far the most beautiful view of downtown and the Wasatch Mountains; Gracie's is a must for a night on the town. Gracie's offers live music or a D.J. almost every night of the week.

This unique building perched on the edge of the Great Salt Lake hosts some pretty big music festivals and shows, but in the summer their outdoor stage is my favorite with a breathtaking view of Utah's amazing sunsets (just bring some bug spray).

The third Friday of every month there is an awesome gallery stroll in downtown SLC (except in December, when it is the first Friday). Exhibits all around the city are open and you can meet artists and browse inspiring and exciting visual artwork. 

The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art has been an award-winning aesthetic force and community leader since it was established in 1931. Located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, UMOCA’s rich past has resulted in the creation of a cornerstone for contemporary culture in Utah, providing for artistic experimentation, community enrichment, and connection to the world as it occurs through our related experiences.

The Leonardo is a museum of creativity and innovation... it's a new kind of museum that combined science, technology, and art in mostly hands-on experiences that inspire creativity and innovation. 

 The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) at the University of Utah is your destination for global visual arts. From ancient objects to the latest contemporary works, the UMFA galleries showcase the breadth and depth of human history and creativity.  Musical concerts, lectures, films, gallery talks. 410 Campus Center Drive, Salt Lake City, (801) 581-7332. 

Their free exhibits provide a unique view of contemporary Utah through the traditional arts of our state's Indian tribes, occupational and ethnic groups, and Utahns of rural heritage. On summer evenings during July and August we present Mondays in the Park, a free concert series featuring everything from ethnic dance and music to pow-wow demonstrations and cowboy poetry by Utah performers.

The Salt Lake City Arts Council programs visual arts exhibits year-round in the Finch Lane Gallery. The exhibition program is designed to give local artists an opportunity to show their current body of work. 

Museum of Church History and Art, 45 N. West Temple St.,(801) 240-2299 office, (801) 240-3310 recorded information. Auditorium, reference library, museum store, films, puppet shows, costumed interpreters, audio-tours (English and Spanish), orientation film - all related to the history of the Mormon Church, and the works of Mormon artists, past and present.

This free museum shows thousands of artifacts from the late 1800's, from carriages, tools, and clothing, to dolls and toys. The stairwells between floors are filled with hundreds of paintings and photographs.  300 N Main Street in Salt Lake City, Utah 

This awesome art center in Park City provides a complete center for the visual arts with gallery and studio space. Traveling exhibits are a regular feature, as are art and craft workshops. 

This awesome museum, with both permanent and temporary exhibits of paintings and sculpture, is worth driving to Provo for. They've had some truly inspired exhibits in the past, and I have no doubt they will continue to have more in the future. 

Utah Arts Alliance is a uniquely dynamic organization, and their mission is to foster the arts in SLC in ALL forms in order to create an aware, empowered, and connected community. Mural Fest, Illuminate SLC, and The Urban Arts Fest are all put on by this awesome alliance. 

This space is a "creative industries incubator"... meaning that they create an atmosphere that fosters creativity. This especially means that it creates an atmosphere where people can learn all kinds of creative expression. 

With a newly curated exhibit each month, this gallery located at The Gateway is a fun, fresh, and free place to infuse a little art into your life.

Some might say Mother Nature is the most talented artist of all time. Come explore the beautiful Natural History Museum of Utah. They have awesome standing exhibits as well as limited-time exhibits. Check out their $5 after 5pm admission on Wednesday's to save a little money. 

The Bee is lovingly competitive (and occasionally curated) storytelling in SLC. Have a drink. Laugh. Cry. Bee entertained. 

This entirely new Park is designed as an old-world, gothic-styled European village. Nestled among beautiful botanical gardens, visiting explorers will be transported to a place of discovery, imagination and wonder. Evermore comes to life through theatrical performance, movie quality costuming, state of the art effects, and cutting-edge technologies. 

WIth  cool IMAX movies that teach us about the world and space, and even cooler laser-light shows choreographed to your favorite rock hits, the Clark Planetarium is an excellent spot for a date. 

Even though this is a restaurant, I've included it as "entertainment" because almost every night, they have something extra happening. On the weekend, it's burlesque dancers. On weekdays it could be a trivia night, magic show, or live music with dance lessons. Either way, while you are munching and sipping on delicious treats, you won't be bored. Just make sure to tell the person at the entrance that you are there to pick up a prescription. 

This unique and intimate experience offers a delicious five-course gourmet meal before guests participate in an evening of fantastic magic by the greatest magicians in the world.  Performances nightly. Reservations required. Located in Midvale at Gardner Village.

Located at The Gateway, Dreamscapes is Salt Lake City’s Immersive Art Attraction, a project of the Utah Arts Alliance and Utah Artists and Builders. With various rooms that you get to walk-through, local artists have created a unique dream-world filled with mostly donated and recycled materials.