Free Summer Fun Ideas

GUEST BLOGGER: LIZ VANCE

Hey there! My name is Elizabeth but you can call me Liz! This is my first blog post for Utah Money Moms and I’m excited to be here! I have a background in Family Finance and have recently joined the Utah Money Moms team. I love ice cream, Harry Potter, and the time of day when the sun is low and everything is golden! Hopefully some of the stuff I share on Utah Money Moms is interesting and helpful to you!
My husband and I just moved to Holladay and are excited for all the things our new area has to offer! I started doing some research for free or inexpensive things to do around here, so I thought I’d share some of my findings! I’m always tempted to spend money on fun stuff all summer long, but there are lots of things that don’t require much or any money! I found most of these things after a few minutes on Google. So, if you don’t live near Salt Lake, jump on Google and find some fun things to do near you. Let me know what you find! 

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Ski Resorts
There are a lot of ski resorts in Utah thanks to the best snow on earth! Most of the resorts do fun things during the summer. I only listed two free events, but check the websites of ski resorts near you for information on concerts, hiking, festivals, etc. 

• Snowbird – Every Friday, starting on June 21st, Snowbird has a free outdoor movie! I think this sounds like so much fun! Check the calendarfor the movie schedule, times, and other summer events at Snowbird. Just don’t forget to wear a jacket!
• Solitude – If you like yoga, you can head to Solitude every Saturday, starting June 29thfrom 10:00-11:00 for a free yoga class! Sounds refreshing! For more on the yoga classes and other events at Solitude head to their website.

Olympic Park
While Olympic Park is open all year, along with its 2 free museums, I plan on heading up there some time after June 22nd to check out the freestyle show! Unfortunately, the freestyle show does cost money. But if you are willing to spend a little bit, you’ll see skiers and snowboarders do tricks off large jumps into a swimming pool! You can see it every Saturday and Sunday at 1:00. This is something I’ve heard about for a while and I’m excited I live close enough to check it out now! For more on the museums and the freestyle show head to their website. 

Splish Splash Bash
On July 12th you can head to Cottonwood Regional Park for live music, an outdoor movie, food trucks, and a giant slip n’ slide! The event is free and is from 6:00-10:00 pm. You can check out the Facebook event for more information here.

Salt Lake County Fair
The Salt Lake County Fair is August 8th– August 10th. While parking and entering is free, I’m sure I’ll be tempted to spend some money on food and other things while I’m there! The fair is a fun way to get out of the house and check out some interesting stuff people in the community have worked on! Times and specific events can be found here.  

Sandy Hot Air Balloon Festival
On August 9th and 10th (weather permitting) you can check out the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Sandy. There will be food, games, live music, and a dance party! If you’d like to know more, head to their website.

Tour of Utah
The Tour of Utah is an annual bike race that happens in different locations across the state! What an impressive experience! This year one stage of the race is a circuit race near the capitol building, meaning the course is several laps in one area. What a great way to experience more than just a couple minutes of the race! That race is on August 16thand starts at 6:00pm. The whole event will be happening between August 12thand August 18thin different locations across the state each day. If you don’t live in Salt Lake, check if the race is coming near you! Dates, times, and race routes can be found on their website. It’s a fun adventure to see these amazing athletes at work!

Activities Available All Summer
Capitol Building Tours: The Salt Lake capitol building is beautiful! I didn’t realize you can take a tour for free every Monday-Friday from 9:00-4:00. Tours start on the hour and you meet at the desk just inside the east doors. Sounds like a fun way to learn a little more about that beautiful building and not spend any money. You can find more information here.

Temple Square: Temple Square is a Salt Lake City classic. You can take a tour or enjoy the lovely landscape and architecture. If you want to find out more about tours and events check out this website.

Clark Planetarium: The Clark Planetarium is free to enter and look around. If you want to check out any of their cool movies in an IMAX theater or a domed theater it does cost money, but not much. So check out their websitefor more information on showtimes and costs.
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International Peace Garden: I hadn’t heard about this park until I started researching things to do in Salt Lake. It looks like a really cool garden featuring plants and landscaping from several countries! The park is open from dawn to dusk May 1st- September 30th. It is definitely on my summer bucket list! Go herefor more information.

These are just a few of the many fun things our state has to offer! And I didn’t even mention any hiking or lakes or other fun nature activities that are all throughout Utah. Don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money to have a good time this summer! Let me know if there is anything you would add to the list!

HAGS,

Liz