Brad Paisley at LaVell Edwards, Matilda opens at the SCERA
Plus a giant flag on the mountain in American Fork, tacos gringas at Don Joaquin, a quarter-mile boardwalk over spring water most locals drive right past.
Good morning, Happy Valley.
Brad Paisley plays LaVell Edwards Stadium this Saturday for Stadium of Fire, and the seats are going fast.
Here is the best of what is on right now, from the tacos at Don Joaquin to a spring-fed boardwalk hardly anyone stops for.
📍 30 seconds in the valley⏱️ 5 min read
- 🎆Brad Paisley headlines Stadium of Fire Saturday, Provo
- 🎭Matilda The Musical opens Friday at the SCERA, Orem
- 🌮Tacos gringas at Street Tacos Don Joaquin, Provo
- 💧The Cascade Springs boardwalk almost nobody stops for
⭐ The Big One
Book now Brad Paisley headlines Stadium of Fire
Provo's July 4th concert-and-fireworks spectacular fills LaVell Edwards Stadium, with country star Brad Paisley on the mic and one of the biggest fireworks shows in the state to close it out.
Our take
This is the anchor of the whole Freedom Festival, and it lands on the Fourth itself. If you host family every summer, this is the night everyone remembers, a full stadium concert with the fireworks going up right over the field. Paisley is a real draw, so the good seats will not sit around.⚠️ Heads up: Confirm current pricing and availability at the BYU box office before you buy, and check the gate and bag rules before you head over.
$$$ familiesJuly 4thconcert
📰 Around the Valley
Freedom Festival packs the Valley calendar this week
The America's Freedom Festival at Provo runs a full slate of events leading into the Fourth, and this year the theme leans into the country's 250th anniversary. Expect the marquee Stadium of Fire show plus supporting events across Provo. It is the biggest community stretch of the summer for the north end of the Valley.
America 250 flag display fills The Orchard in Orem
A historical flag display marking the country's 250th anniversary is up at The Orchard at University Place in Orem. It walks through the flags that have flown over the country across its history. It is a free, easy stop if you are already out at University Place this week.
📅 This Week
Worth it
🎭 Matilda The Musical opens at the SCERA, Orem
Roald Dahl's story of the clever little girl who takes on the grown-ups, staged with the big song-and-dance numbers, opening Friday at the SCERA in Orem.
Our take
A crowd-pleaser the whole family can sit through, and the SCERA does these big musicals well. Great pick for a night that is not the fireworks crush.⚠️ Heads up: Confirm the exact show times and grab tickets at scera.org before you go.
$$ familiestheaterdate night
Worth it
🖨️ Live Typewriter Poetry at the BYU MOA, Provo
Part of the museum's America 250 programming, a poet types a custom poem for you on the spot on a real typewriter.
Our take
A small, memorable thing you would not expect at a museum. Fun to hand a kid a poem written just for them.⚠️ Heads up: Confirm the day's hours at the MOA before you go, museum programs shift.
Free artsfreefamilies
Worth it
🎨 Abstracted & Architected at JKR Gallery, Provo
A gallery show of abstract and architectural work at JKR Gallery in downtown Provo, an easy free stroll if you are already downtown.
Our take
A quiet, grown-up break in the middle of the week. Good pairing with a coffee downtown.⚠️ Heads up: Confirm the gallery's open hours before you drive over.
Free artsfreedate night
🍴 Eat & Drink
Best of the week Street Tacos Don Joaquin, Provo
A taco spot known for tacos gringas, tucked-in tortillas with crispy caramelized cheese, plus al pastor, lengua, and carne asada. There is a habanero-pineapple salsa bar to load up.
Our take
This is the taco order locals get quiet about so the line does not get worse. The caramelized cheese on the gringas is the move, and the salsa bar seals it.⚠️ Heads up: Hours can shift, so confirm they are open before you drive over.
$ tacoscheap eatsfamily
💡 Hidden Gem
Hidden gem
Cascade Springs boardwalk, Alpine Loop
A mountain spring where clear pools and small terraced waterfalls run right beside a quarter-mile boardwalk off the Alpine Loop. Most of it is wheelchair accessible, and hardly anyone stops for it.
Our take
People blow past this on the way to bigger hikes. The water bubbles up right out of the ground and runs crystal clear over the terraces. Screenshot it and go on a hot afternoon.⚠️ Heads up: The road up is winding and the season is short, so confirm the byway and site are open before you drive up.
$ familieseasyscenic
🎟️ Also Happening
🎨 Colorblast! for ages 5 to 11
Wednesday, July 1 at the Highland Community Center, a hands-on kids art class.
🎻 Summer at the MOA: Mimi Chen Ting's Musical Riddle
Wednesday, July 1 at the BYU Museum of Art in Provo, a free art-and-music program.
The Debate
📰 Valley News
Thanksgiving Point opens gates for Military Appreciation Days
Thanksgiving Point in Lehi is running Military Appreciation Days starting Thursday, July 2, with free or discounted admission for military families across its venues. It covers the gardens, museums, and farm areas. It is a real thank-you gesture timed to the Fourth of July week.
Camp Floyd museum keeps its stagecoach history alive in Fairfield
Camp Floyd and the Stagecoach Inn State Park and Museum out in Fairfield tell the story of the largest military post in the country back in the late 1850s, plus the old Pony Express and stagecoach line. The park sits on the far west edge of the Valley past Saratoga Springs. It is a quiet history stop that most locals have never actually visited.
Springville Museum keeps its two big shows up through summer
The Springville Museum of Art still has its 102nd Annual Spring Salon on the walls along with the Enduring Beauty show on painter John Hafen. The Spring Salon is one of the longest-running juried art shows in the state. Both are free to see and make an easy indoor break from the July heat down in Springville.
💙 Good Neighbor
Nominate the Valley's quiet MVPs
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Nominate a neighbor →That's the best of what's on. Lock your Stadium of Fire seats, grab Matilda tickets for a calmer night, and save Cascade Springs for a hot afternoon.
Tell us what we missed. Reply with the events, openings, and good-neighbor stories your corner of the Valley should know about.
Forward this to the neighbor who always asks what's going on this week. That's what we're for.
— The Provo FOMO crew
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