With summer temperatures hovering consistently around triple digits, there’s plenty of reason to plan an escape up one of the many city-adjacent canyons that surround SLC. Thankfully, many of our state’s mountain towns and resorts offer all kinds of summer events that can make a day trip or weekend stay even more enjoyable. Below you will find a selection of events, concert series, outdoor movies, and more, all of which provide the perfect reason to pack a bag, hop in the car, and head for the hills.

1. Coca-Cola Sunset Cinema (Solitude Mountain Resort): Every Thursday night from now until September 2nd Solitude Mountain Resort will be hosting free outdoor screenings of much-beloved classics like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Men in Black, Footloose, and more. Be sure to bring your own blankets and/or lawn chairs and settle in next to the Apex Express chairlift for a good ol’ fashioned summer flick. Dates, times, and more information can be found here. 

2. Canyons Village Concert Series (Canyons Village): Taking in live music during balmy summer evenings in Park City is a perennial favorite for many around this city and state. Luckily, the Canyons Village Summer Concert Series provides the perfect opportunity to see an exciting lineup of performers like Aiko and Kris Lager Band throughout the summer. Concerts will take place on select Thursday and Saturday nights over the course of the next couple of months. Grab a blanket (or a low-back chair), and enjoy sweet, sweet melodies drifting through the crisp mountain air. More information can be found here. 

3. Park City Wine Festival (Park City): It’s no secret that we like to sing the praises of this city’s culinary scene whenever possible and, for those looking to get in on the action, Park City Wine Festival is one of the best ways to sample all kinds of goodness from around the state. The event brings together more than 100 food artisans, wineries, breweries, distilleries, epicurean purveyors, and locally made products for a weekend filled with seminars, luncheons, tastings, and all-around deliciousness. Cheers! For more information, click here. 

4. Sundance For The Locals (Park City & Salt Lake City): While the Sundance Institute is responsible for bringing all kinds of global attention to our state, they also take special care to provide ample opportunity for entertainment to its local denizens as well. This summer, for instance, the institute is putting on a film series dubbed “For the Locals” that will host showings in both Salt Lake and Park City during the month of July. Unsurprisingly, the films being shown are top-notch, making this the perfect way to pair your escape from the heat with a healthy dose of culture. More information can be found here. 

5. Snowbasin Summer Music Series (Snowbasin): One of the prettiest mountains in the state, Snowbasin is taking full advantage of its natural splendor by hosting a concert series designed to pair views with blues (and plenty of other genres). We suggest you take a morning to hike, bike, or pursue any number of the on-resort activities before rounding off the afternoon with a free concert, delicious fare, and plenty of local brews. The concerts run weekly during the month of August. More information and a lineup of performers can be found here.