A message from Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson
Another beautiful Cedar City fall has arrived, and with the change of seasons comes the many fun autumn events and festivities we enjoy in our community as well as another exciting Southern Utah University homecoming celebration. SUU’s homecoming activities will take place the week of Oct. 7–13 this year. As always, there are a variety of fun events planned for everyone to enjoy!
Mark your calendars for the Forever Red event held Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the SUU Upper Quad. This event is free and will feature food, fun, and fireworks for all. This year’s entertainment will include ABBAMANIA, an ABBA cover band. Fireworks will be at 10 p.m.
The following day, Oct. 13, bring your family out and enjoy the Homecoming Parade beginning at 10 a.m. The parade route starts at 200 W and goes down to the football stadium. If you’d like to have a float in the parade, please contact the Student Involvement & Leadership Office at (435) 586-7762.
And of course, what better way to cap off the day than with the SUU Homecoming football game being held Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Eccles Coliseum? For more information about homecoming activities, visit suu.edu/alumni or call SUU Alumni & Community Relations at (435) 586-7777. For tickets to the football game, go online at tbirdtickets.com or call (435) 586-7872.
Encounter Korea opens at the Southern Utah Museum of Art Oct. 13 and will run through Dec. 29. Although not as well known in Cedar City, Korean artists are internationally known for their voices that resonate across both East and West. This exhibition brings together a group of Korean American and Korean artists based in Los Angeles and in South Korea. Many of the artists in this exhibition express the delicacies and emotions of everyday life through different methods and media. The Southern Utah Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles, is excited to share the work of contemporary Korean artists with our local community. On Oct. 13, SUMA will open its doors at 10 a.m., following the Homecoming Parade. Everyone is invited to return to the museum between 2 and 4 p.m. for hands-on activities and other Korean traditions. For more information, click here or call (435) 586-5433.
The first annual Utah Culinary Fest, presented by Southwest Technical College, will take place Oct. 7–13. The Utah Culinary Fest is a celebration of food and cooking featuring unique menu items at participating restaurants, created by Chef Drew of Southwest Tech. Proceeds will go towards culinary scholarships at Southwest Tech. Residents and tourists alike will be able to find this delicious fare at Centro Woodfired Pizzeria, Sego, Charlie’s Southern Barbecue, Chef Alfredo’s, The French Spot, and Pork Belly’s Eatery.
The Utah Culinary Fest will also feature cooking classes, demonstrations, and local farm tours and events. On Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visit one of the many farms for a farm tour. Just some of the participating farms include Red Acre Farm, Sweet Pea Farm & Orchard, and Life Cycle Gardens. Please visit utahculinaryfest.com for a list of all participants and a full list of events.
Fall also brings the Cedar Livestock and Heritage Festival, now in its 13th year. The festival will take place Oct. 25–28. The Cedar Livestock and Heritage Festival has grown and expanded exponentially over the past 13 years. A large part of its success is that it is the “right” festival at the “right” time of the year in the “right” place. One of the great things about the livestock festival is that it is virtually free to the public!
Again this year, the festival will have a Thursday night Grand Marshall reception and a concert featuring Belinda Gail, one of the best “Western” performers in the Intermountain West. They have also have added a stock dog contest with some of the best dog handlers and dogs in Utah. For the third year, the festival will have the “Lead Line” contest Oct. 27. This is a very unique fashion show where the contestants must lead a sheep down the runway wearing corresponding dress to the contestant (extra points if it’s wool). In addition, they will also have draft horse pulls, antique tractor pulls, vendors, an antique car show, a Dutch oven cooking contest, Western poetry and music, a kids’ pedal tractor pull, a ranch rodeo, and the one and only Sheep Parade Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. on Main Street. You certainly will not want to miss this event! So bring your family and friends and come enjoy one of the most unique and special events in the country. For more information, visit cedarlivestockfest.com or call (435) 586-8132.
The Cedar City Aquatic Center will host the Halloween Spooktacular Oct. 26 and 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night. Join us for a spooky good time filled with frights and candy! Take a stroll through our Spook Alley, if you dare. If it’s too scary for you, you can wander through our pallet maze! The Halloween Spooktacular is $4 per person or $20 for two adults and four children. Kids age 3 and under are free with a paying adult. The event is also free for current Cedar City Aquatic Center Members. For more information, contact the Cedar City Aquatic Center at (435) 865-9223.
Another fun activity hosted by Cedar City Leisure Services will be a dog show Oct. 5–7 and the Pumpkin Festival Oct. 19 and 20. For more information on these activities, call (435) 865-9223.
This past month, I had a unique opportunity to represent Cedar City and the State of Utah at the Women Mayors of America White House Conference in Washington D.C. This conference included speakers and panels where I, along with other female mayors from Utah and all across the county, were able to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing our nation, states, and communities with top White House and Administration Officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Mrs. Karen Pence, Secretary Betsy DeVos, Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon, Kellyanne Conway, Shahira Knight, Mercedes Schlapp, and Beth Van Duyne, among others. Some of the topics that were discussed included affordable housing, infrastructure, water, the opioid crisis and Opioid Cabinet, disaster support, Housing and Urban Development and ongoing government housing subsidies, funding for the Community Development Block Grants, economic development, Opportunity Zones, the need for workforce development to align with industry demands, rethinking our educational system, tax reform, and funding for safe and self-reliant communities.
I was able to speak directly with one of the regional administrators for Housing and Urban Development about the intergenerational poverty efforts we are currently engaged in here in Cedar City and Iron County to assist middle-school-aged intergenerational poverty students. The HUD regional administrator was impressed with the efforts and initiative we are putting forth locally to address a long-term challenge that, if not solved, has the potential to continue to negatively impact numerous individuals, families, and federal and state resources for generations to come.
During my visit to D.C., I was also able to network with the leadership from the National League of Cities and provide input on different upcoming federal legislative initiatives that have the potential to greatly impact Cedar City. I also spent time with five other incredible female mayors from Utah discussing topics that pose challenges in all of our communities while brainstorming solutions for new innovative measures that could lead to future win-win opportunities across the board.
Overall, the Women Mayors of America White House Conference was a chance for female mayors from across the country and from all parties and backgrounds to come together in a forum where we could share issues and ideas that all of our individual communities are facing and discuss solutions that have proven successful in other cities so we don’t have to “reinvent the wheel.” What a privilege!
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