Mind Body Spirit Utah: Aug 14 – Aug 25 Events

By Margaret Ruth

“There cannot be much going on the last half of August,” I told myself. This bit of musing turned out to be ridiculously incorrect; there so many expansive offerings of interest to the Mind-Body-Spirit community over the next few weeks, it won’t be possible to go to them all. So, I am going to narrow down my choices to some that offer a variety of experiences in one neat package.

For instance, on Wed, 8/14, 8p, Gallivan Center + FREE Utah Symphony performance + Summer Picnic + Adult Beverages equals an end-of-summer opportunity to bask in the night air and enjoy the ambiance of downtown, the symphony and community. The nice folks at the Gallivan Center tell me to bring a small picnic (do not bring alcohol, however you can buy it there), and a blanket — although there will be chairs set up for early arrivers it sounds like.

Do you like movies? Do you like movies at Brewvies? Do you want to know more about Burning Man? Quite a few people around town are planning to attend the local showing of “Spark: A Burning Man Story,” Tues., 8/20,  7:30p. The cost is $12.50 — Cash Only. Doors open at 7p and you can buy your dinner and adult beverages from the friendly Brewvies crew. For more details, go here .

How about learning about the historic Ladies Literary Club building and the Downey Mansion in Salt Lake? Free guided tours through Salt Lake’s social and architectural history are offered by the Utah Heritage Foundation throughout the year and one of the last of the summer is of these two historical gems on Sat, 8/17, 10a-Noon. The Ladies Literary Club building is 100 years old this year and represents one of the best examples of prairie-style architecture in the city. Meet the docents at the front door of either building; click here for more details.

The cultural past is always always interesting, and so is your personal future journey.  Psychic Fairs at local favorites Dancing Cranes Imports and The Golden Braid are fun: consulting with local intuitives, shopping for Mind-Body-Spirit products, and then of course eating. This last being a very nice feature. The SoulWorks~Psychic and Holistic Fair at Dancing Cranes Imports is Sat, 8/17, 11a-5:30p. It offers some of Utah’s best psychics, holistic practitioners and artisans. Attendance is free and sessions are $20-$30.  From 6-9p, 8/21, The Golden Braid Psychic Fair offers intuitive readings for $20.

Even if you do not follow Utah’s art scene, there is so much going on at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Fri, 8/16, 6p — education, art, food and dance — I’m going to cheat and copy UMOCA’s professionally written blurb:

“UMOCA, in partnership with contemporary dance company, Ririe-Woodbury, is hosting an event for all ages. Included throughout the evening will be performances by Ririe-Woodbury, a curatorial walk-through of the Utah Biennial: Mondo Utah exhibition, a gallery roll in partnership with Visit Salt Lake and GREENbike, lines of numerous food trucks right outside our doors and a cash bar. The party will also feature an art opening for the Locals Only Gallery titled, Creating Absence, as well as for our new Art Truck installation by Calder Kamin.” www.utahmoca.org .

Also on Friday  8/16, Art meets Chocolate: My friend Portia Early is the featured artist at Hatch Family Chocolates 6p until close. Details here .  Then, Chocolate meets Ferris Bueller, as HFC is also one of the sponsors of  the FREE Avenues Block Party Movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” on  Fri, 8/23, dusk: free popcorn,  live music by Wasatch Coaching Academy,  creature encounters and more. I think these event meet at least one’s need for having chocolate nearby.

More fun on the weekend of Aug 23-24 when The Inner Light Center presents a LUYAN Festival, Sat, 8/24, 6p-9:30p. This caught my attention as I couldn’t recall a holiday or festival with that name. Well, it turns out it stands for “Light Up Your August Night,” which sounds pretty good to me.  There is a light show, along with food and activities for the whole family. $20 includes dinner; discounts for children and families. See more here.

Feed your need for community, music and walking about. Porchfest is presented by the East Central neighborhood of Salt Lake City Sat, 8/24, 1p-10p. What is Porchfest? It is when “porches become stages; gardens become art galleries; and over 100 local musicians and artists share their talents with whoever passes by.”  FREE to the public; bring picnics and chairs, or just around and purchase food from local vendors. My friend Mary’s bluegrass band, Buyin’ Time, will be porch-performing that night she tells me, as will about 70 other bands, on 35 porches. Go to porchfestsaltlake.org for maps and details.

This article was originally published on August 14, 2013.