Well, it looks like Summer is here. No, I’m not looking at the weather app, indeed more so my beet-reddened legs, incinerated by an accidental snooze in the afternoon sun this weekend. Pass the aloe please and thank you. With that in mind, here’s a look ahead to a range of events with a strong food/drink component at their core this Summer and. Don’t forget the sunscreen.
Living Traditions 2025
May 16th – 18th
Washington Square / Library Park, downtown SLC
Free entrance
saltlakearts.org/programs/living-traditions-festival
This multi-day celebration of Utah’s cultural landscape always marks the start of the big Summer festival season, and this year is no exception. As per usual, the event is anchored by a mix of food vendors showcasing the eclectic diversity of cuisine (pictured top) in our state. Here are all the vendors that will be on site, and the dishes you can expect. P.s. I did mention bringing the sunscreen right…
- 8th Street Greek Food – lamb/chicken/vegetarian gyro, pilafi rice, greek salad
- Antojitos Peruanos – fried rice, papa a la huancaína, pollo a la brasa, french fries w/fried hotdogs, lomo saltado, chicken broathster, Peruvian doughnuts, alfajores, combinado, chicha morada, inka cola, passionfruit juice
- Asociación de Colombianos en el exterior – Spanish blood sausage, chorizo, arepa, empanada, cheese fritters, plantains, passionfruit juice
- Basque Club of Utah – chorizo sandwich, churros, ham croquetas
- Italian-American Civic League – sausage sandwich, cannoli, cornetto, Italian soda
- Mama Africa – plantains, jollof rice, fufu, cassava leaves, okra, chicken combo, fish combo, veggies combo, ginger punch, bissap punch, sobolo punch
- National Tongan American Society – kahlua pork, chop suey, corned beef w/spinach, nz mussels, sweet potato, rice, spicy cucumber, bbq chicken, mango otai, watermelon otai
- Native American Events – Navajo tacos, fry breads, mush w/berries
- Nepalese Association of Utah – samosa, chatpate, chicken rice, veggie and rice, chicken mo, veggie mo, tea, mango lassi
- Oaxaca en Utah – tlayudas, aguas frescas
- Pakistani Association – pita, samosa, chicken kabob, curried chickpeas, veggie curry, basmati, chicken potato curry, Kashmiri cookies, chai, mango lassi
- St Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church – minced meat dish, meat cabbage rolls, goulash, pita, salad, doughnuts, kuglic, elderflower juice
- Thai Association of Utah & 99 Thai Fusion Restaurant – mango sticky rice, chicken lollipops, veggie egg rolls, gyoza, pad thai, mango curry chicken, yellow curry chicken
- Utah Argentina Alliance – empanadas, flan, alfajores, yerba mate
- Utah Tibetan Association – veggie dumplings, beef dumplings, veggie soft noodles, spicy potato, chicken curry, veggie fried rice, mango lassi
- Utah Ukrainian Community – dumplings, borst, pampushky, kovbasky, babka buns, uzbar (fruit compote beverage)
- Vietnamese Volunteer Youth – fried egg roll, fresh spring roll, potstickers, pork patechaud, chicken & pineapple skewer, grilled pork skewer, ham fried rice, bánh mì, bún, bánh bao, lychee lemonade, passionfruit mint cooler
Utah Asian Festival
June 7th, 11.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.
Utah State Fairpark
Free entrance
utahasianfestival.org
Back for the 48th year and headed back to last year’s venue at the Fairpark. Here’s the full information from the organizers on what to expect.
. . .
The Utah Asian Festival (UAF) is set to return for its 48th annual celebration on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the Utah State Fairpark (155 N 1000 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84116). This year’s festival will spotlight the legacy of Utah’s Asian communities, emphasizing the intergenerational bonds and traditions that shape the community today.
Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month celebrations culminate at the beginning of June with this free food and cultural festival that serves to unite the pan-Asian communities in Utah. Attendees can look forward to 60+ traditional and contemporary performances across two stages, hands-on children’s activities, 30+ food vendors representing a wide array of culinary heritages, 70+ community and artisan booths and more in what is expected to be the biggest festival since its founding in 1978.
The recent growth of the UAF, the largest, longest-running Asian Festival in the United States, reflects the growing pan-Asian community in Utah. “The growth of the festival exploded recently thanks to an influx of younger volunteer organizers. They share the founders’ unwavering commitment to uplifting our many cultures, but have brought with them novel ideas propelling the festival to new heights as a grand celebration for the entire state, ” said Margaret Yee, a founder of the original event.“My heart runs full to see the fruits of our labor still ripe after 48 years.”
The committee’s goal, according to Co-chair Emilio Manuel Camu, is to honor the past, remain relevant to all our peoples’ needs, and create durable, meaningful, cross-cultural and intergenerational friendships along the way.
“When I learned that the festival originated as an attempt to unify the various Asian ethnic groups, I felt it was my duty to continue the mission, especially in the midst of resurgent anti-Asian violence and discrimination,
” said Camu.
The festival is entirely volunteer-run and organized as a program of the Asian Association of Utah, which serves as a community resource for Asian immigrants and refugees. Though the festival is nearing its 50-year mark, UAF is proud to note that Asian people have been an essential part of Utah history for over 150 years. Co-chair Gechlang Ear said, “This celebration is important to us because we believe in the ‘Utah’ that isn’t celebrated enough–the ‘Utah’ that is home to over 60,000 asylum-seekers and thousands more, like myself, who have come from far-away lands but take pride in calling this place our refuge.”
This event invites all ages and backgrounds to enjoy the rich Asian cultures and traditions that have flourished in the Intermountain West and celebrate their future. “With more than 120,000+ Asians in Utah, this festival is our big Asian reunion!” said Camu.
The Festival is still seeking volunteers to help put on this large event. Individual volunteers and groups can sign up here. For information on supporting this or future festivals, please visit our website. You can also find our vendor, parking, and other information on social media @UtahAsianFestival. Admission is free.
Summer Farmer’s Market
June 7th – October 25th, 8.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.
Pioneer Park, 300 South 300 West
Free
slcfarmersmarket.org/saturday-farmers-market
The yearly Pioneer Park market is a showcase for “farmers and producers offer the freshest local fruits and vegetables as well as a wide variety of grass-fed meats, eggs, dairy, honey, and flora, along with the region’s best locally made sauces, spreads, baked goods and culinary accouterments.”
All vendors must operate within 250 miles of the market and alongside a mind-boggling slew of stalls – the market also offers a food alley of small businesses to help fuel your exploration. Here’s a look at what to expect when the market hits its stride.
Savor The Summit
June 28th
Main Street, Park City
Price varies
parkcityrestaurants.com/savor-the-summit
One of the biggest Park City bashes of the year, this Main Street party of restaurants unfurls all along historic Main Street – top to bottom. Each business typically provided a unique menu for the evening with suitable drink pairings. To attend you’ll need to contact restaurants directly to reserve a seat at their al fresco table. Word to the wise: this one sells out exceptionally fast every year. Here’s the full presser from organizers on the 2025 bash:
. . .
Park City’s historic Main Street sets the scene for the state’s largest outdoor dining experience, Savor the Summit. More than 2,500 guests will dine al fresco at the communal table to delight in signature dishes from a variety of Park City Area Restaurant Association (PCARA) members on June 28, 2025, at 6 p.m.
“Incredible food, innovative cocktails, live music, and great company meet at Savor the Summit for Park City’s annual kick-off to summer,” said PCARA Executive Director Ginger Wicks. “Patrons and the restaurant community alike are so passionate about this signature event, held in the heart of historic Park City, and we look forward to raising a glass together to celebrate our beloved mountain town.”
To save a seat at the Grande Table, guests must make their reservations directly with a participating restaurant. This year’s participating restaurants to date include:
- Bangkok Thai on Main
- Café Terigo
- Courchevel Bistro
- Culinary Crafts at Kimball Terrace
- Deer Valley Resort
- Dilécta Wines
- Don Gallo
- Eating Establishment
- Firewood on Main
- Flanagan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
- Fletcher’s
- High West Distillery & Saloon
- KANEO
- Le Depot Brasserie
- Purple Sage
- Riverhorse on Main
- Shabu
- Top of Main Brewery
Guests 21+ can also visit the High West Spirits Garden from 5 – 10 p.m., no ticket necessary, to sip the distillery’s infamous cocktails, beer, and wine for purchase, and enjoy a full lineup of live music.
Indian Food Fair
August 2nd, 11.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m.
Liberty Park Salt Lake City
Free admission
indianfoodfairs.com
2025 will be the 6th installment of this particular event. Specific details have yet to be released but the event always features multiple food vendors to enjoy.
Greek Festival
September 5th – 7th
Holy Trinity Cathedral
$5 admission, seniors, veterans, kids 5 and under free
saltlakecitygreekfestival.com
A Utah institution, and of course, back again this year. The three-day festival has a solid food offering celebrating Greek culinary tradition, gyro through galaktoboureko. The organizers write:
City Weekly Beer Festival
August 16th – 17th
The Gateway
Prices vary
utahbeerfestival.com
This one surely needs no introduction. Utah’s biggest beer bash heads to The Gateway again for ’25. This year’s event reprises its location over at The Gateway.
Eat Drink SLC
September 10th & 11th
Tracy Aviary
Price TBA
eatdrinkslc.com
The 11th annual EDSLC will again be held over two different evenings (separate tickets required for each night), with each night featuring different local restaurants; ably supported by a raft of wine markers, brewers, and distillers. I don’t believe tickets are live for this one yet, but they typically sell out very quickly indeed. Be sure to join the email list on their site to avoid missing out.
Festa Italiana
September 13th – 14th
The Gateway
Free entrance
festaitalianaslc.com
Another Gateway-hosted event is back again this year. Vendors are still to be confirmed, but lovers of all things Italian won’t want to miss this September festival.
And for the love all that’s good, a last reminder from my charred legs to yours… don’t forget the sunscreen.
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Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
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