The Futures So Bright, We Gotta Wear Shades!
– By Josh Warburton –
Welcome to Southern Utah, and welcome to this April issue of The Independent & Zion Guide.
We’re pleased to present this large edition featuring the very best that southern Utah has to offer. Each month we work to put together the most extensive and complete guide highlighting the current events and entertainment in The Independent section (the first half of this edition). We marry that to the most sought-after content for visitors to the area, the Zion Guide section. This format has evolved from the numerous incarnations we’ve produced over our 25 years to its current format.
We’re excited to include features in this issue on the KTX Half Marathon, Washington County Fair, Beaver Dam Street Fest & Swap Meet, plays from Kayenta and Hurricane Valley Theater, DSU Celebrity Concerts, Outsider’s Photo Conference, Colorado Music Festival, and much more! In addition to all that, The Independent section includes multiple opinion pieces, editorial cartoons, Colorock Canyon hike, album reviews, movie reviews, and the most extensive calendar of events we’ve put together in over a year!
We are starting to see a perfect storm of pent-up demand, the busy tourist season ramping up, and many groups producing their first events since the onset of Covid-19. The widespread availability of vaccines starting this month seems to be one of the primary impetus behind this trend. I will have gotten my shot the day after we send this to print, hallelujah! I’m so looking forward to some return to normalcy, seeing and playing live music, family gatherings, hugging friends and family, and so much else. Many of us have sacrificed much this past year doing our part to slow the spread of COVID. We’re not out of the woods yet, and we all need to be mindful to respect and honor the direction from our experts and state leaders to continue to work together to snuff this deadly pandemic out. The sooner we can get there, the sooner we all can enjoy these things comfortably.
Because of our advertisers’ amazing support, we’re able to produce this issue, which is equal in size to March’s 25th-anniversary edition, twice the size of our February issue!
This extra space allows us to include some awesome features we don’t always run, including; an annual event calendar, safety and preparedness piece, multiple maps, and a detailed article highlighting cities and towns in southern Utah and the special qualities that make them unique!
All of that is in addition to shuttle info & map, general tips, a guide to Utah’s liquor laws, a state & national parks listing & map, plus our exclusive hiking features highlighting both the most popular area hikes and our recommended less-travel hikes.
Promoting the best of southern Utah is not just what we do; it’s who we are. So thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy your visit to southern Utah.
Viewpoints and perspectives expressed throughout The Independent are those of the individual contributors. They do not necessarily reflect those held by the staff of The Independent or our advertising sponsors. Your comments, rebuttals, and contributions are welcome in accordance with our Terms of Service. Please be respectful and abide by our Community Rules. If you have privacy concerns you can view our Privacy Policy here. Thank you!
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