This Year, Make It A Stay-Cation! Start Here...

It's June 21st, 2011, the first official day of summer! What are you going to do with the kids this summer?

Gas prices are still high. Airline tickets can cost you your firstborn. And, have you seen some of the entry fees at amusement parks and other places of interest around the country? It's enough to cause a case of depression.

Why not travel around Utah this year? There are a lot of amazing things to do right in our own backyard, many of them inexpensive or even free. You can look back through this blog and find great places to go and things to do, and you can check back with us each week throughout

the summer as we add more and more places to go, even updating some of the things we've mentioned before.

This week is one of my favorite events of the summer- Taylorsville Dayzz. Now, I'll admit that I'm biased, since this is my hometown, but this annual celebration has just gotten bigger and better every year.

Taylorsville Dayzz begins on Thursday, June 23rd with the opening of the Carnival Midway. This is a pretty good sized carnival with a lot of rides, games, petting zoo and lots of midway style food. The Thursday Special- all carnival rides only $1. The Carnival opens at 4:00 p.m. and goes until 11:00 p.m.

Things really ramp up starting Friday, June 24th. The Carnival

is open again at 4:00 p.m. The Taylorsville Symphony begins a show at 6:00 p.m. and the night is highlighted by an Elvis impersonator starting at 8:00 p.m. Fireworks after the performance cap the night.

Saturday, June 25th, is when all the stops come out. The Taylorsville Dayzz Parade starts at 9:00 a.m., going up 5400 south from about 1800 west to 2700 west, then turning north on 2700 west and continuing down just past Valley Regional Park. The Carnival is open all day and the classic car show starts at 11:00 a.m. (with a burnout competition at noon). That evening, rock to some of the great ABBA classics with ABBA impersonator group, ADBACADABRA starting at 8:00 p.m. Once the show ends, stick around for one of the most spectacular free fireworks shows in the state.

The celebration concludes on Monday, June 27th. The Carnival will still be open if you haven't gotten enough food and rides. That evening at 8:00 p.m. the Utah Symphony will perform and the finale will be the 1812 Overture accompanied by real cannons fired by the Wasatch Cannoneers. And then, one final fireworks show.

I love Taylorsville Dayzz and so do my kids. Even better, it's cheap, it's close and it makes a great Staycation spot.

Where: Valley Regional Park, 5100 South 2700 West, Taylorsville, UT

When: June 23, 24, 25, 27, 2011

How Much: Mostly Free, Carnival rides and food cost extra.

Website: Taylorsville Dayzz

View Valley Regional Park in a larger map