Neil Diamond (Impersonator) in Taylorsville, June 28, 2008

It is, once again, Taylorsville Dayzz! My family looks forward to this great community festival every year.

The Valley Regional Park is filled with food, rides, games and auto shows. The Taylorsville Recreation Center is letting people try out the rock climbing wall, the batting cages and the gym and exercise machines for FREE. The pool is open for swimming and you can take a break and read at the Taylorsville Library.

There is music on a couple of stages throughout the day- BUT, the big show is Saturday night. Live, from Las Vegas, headlining at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, is Jay White. White is the only Neil Diamond impersonator officially endorsed by Neil Diamond (and Neil Diamond's mother). I saw him perform last year, and not only does he look a heck of a lot like Neil Diamond, when he sings, you can barely tell the difference between White and the real thing. Jay White will be backed up by his own band and our very own West Valley Symphony.

Wrapping up his performance, he will sing the National Anthem that leads into the "Fireworks Extravaganza." The fireworks show, which starts around 10:00 p.m., has only gotten better every year. It is accompanied by a great soundtrack each year. This is, in my opinion, the best FREE fireworks show in the Salt Lake Valley, and probably one of the best in the state.

Taylorsville Dayzz even extends into Monday with a performance by the Utah Symphony. Monday evenings performance by the Symphony will be ended with a performance of the 1812 Overture, accompanied by cannons from the Wasatch Cannoneers. This is an incredible way to hear this amazing work (and nearly the way that Tchaikovsky intended for it to be played).

Taylorsville Dayzz is a great community gathering and a whole lot of fun. Now, excuse me while I prepare to sing along to "Sweet Caroline."

Event: Taylorsville Dayzz
Location: Valley Regional Park, 5100 South 2700 West, Taylorsville
Phone: 801.963.5400
Hours: June 28, 2008, 11:00 a.m. to dark; June 30, 2008, 6:30 p.m. to dark
Cost: FREE, food, rides and games have individual costs associated with them.


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 11.3 miles
Ogden: 44.8 miles
Provo: 38.2 miles
Logan: 89.5 miles

Free Event of the Day- May 11, 2008

The Madeleine Festival of the Arts and Humanities presents Red Rock Rondo.

Folk musicians Kate MacLeod and Hal Cannon join chamber folk music ensemble blue haiku (Phillip Bimstein, Charlotte Bell, Flavia Cervino-Wood and Harold Carr) in performing Red Rock Rondo. Drawing upon an array of musical styles and a lively assortment of instruments, the group celebrates in song the life and history of Zion National Park.

Event: Madeleine Festival: Red Rock Rondo
Location: 331 E South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT
Phone: 801.328.8941
Time: 8:00 p.m
Cost: FREE


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City (downtown): 1 mile
Ogden: 37.4 miles
Provo: 45.1 miles
Logan: 82.1 miles

Free Event of the Day- May 7, 2008

Do you like good music? How about good jazz music? The standards and boogie-woogie?

On Wednesday, May 7, 2008, local musicians C.J. Santoro and the East Street band, will be playing the old standards, boogie-woogie, and more at the Union Station in Ogden. Join the crowd for some great oldies starting at 7:30 p.m. Admission is FREE.

Place: Union Station- Jazz at the Station
Location: 2501 Wall Avenue, Ogden, UT
Phone: 801.393.9890
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: FREE


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Distance from:
Salt Lake City: 37.2 miles
Ogden (downtown): 0.5 miles
Provo: 78.8 miles
Logan: 47.6 miles