Date nights in Park City just got a little more interesting. Sure there are the free concerts at Deer Valley on Wednesdays, the ones at Kimball Junction on Thursdays and those on Saturday at PCMR/Canyons but when you want a bit more sophistication, take your honey to Hops on the Hill at Deer Valley’s Stein Eriksen Lodge.

Every Tuesday night this summer Hops on the Hill brings you regional craft beer tastings with specially selected food pairings starting at 5 p.m., followed by a concert at 6 p.m. 

Local breweries include Squatters and Park City Brewery, Red Rock Brewing and Epic Brewing Company, Uinta Brewing and Bonneville Brewery, 2 Row Brewing and Bohemian Brewery, Wasatch Brewery and Proper Brewing Company. This summer’s bands feature Mister Sister, Gary Tada, Red Desert Ramblers, Fastback and Utah County Swillers.

Ten percent of the proceeds from food and drink sales go toward the Youth Sports Alliance, an organization dedicated to supporting and enabling youth to participate, learn, compete and excel in sports.

Here’s your 2016 calendar for brews and beats:

 

The Tuesday events costs $40 in advance and $45 at the door and if you want more than “tastes”, the bar is open with $5 beer, $10 wine and $10 liquor. Hot dogs, brats and burgers will be on sale from $5-15.

 

Calling All Sippers!

Mixologists who think they’ve got what it takes to craft the top cocktail of the season have signed up for a chance to be crowned Park City’s top bartender, take home $200, and other perks.

Registration opened last month for the annual Park City Area Restaurant Association summer cocktail contest. The actual contest starts July 1, 2016. Here are the entrants ready for the ultimate taste testing.

The entrants include:

Billy Blanco’s: The Firewater

Deer Valley Grocery-Café: Hard Green Tea

Flanagan’s On Main: Blood Orange and Smoked Serrano Margarita

Fletcher’s: Manhattan Beach

Ghidotti’s: Gin on a Tangent

Grappa: Fiorello (little flower)

Lespri Prime Steak Sushi: Some Golfer

Molly Blooms Gastropub: Mulligan Limonata

Powder at Waldorf Astoria Park City: Blackberry Jalapeno Margarita

Red Rock Junction: Farm & Feed

Red Tail Grill:  Greens Fee

Royal Street Café: Strawberry Scrub Collins

Silver Star Café: The LaBounty Bourbon Ice Bomb

Squatters: Handsome Zach’s Apricot 75

Sushi Blue: The Powder Hound

The Brass Tag: Hawkeye

Tupelo: Sweet Summer Heat

Wahso: S.S.

Wasatch Brew Pub: Basil Trance

Windy Ridge Café: Garden-2-Glass

 

Try Them All

Starting July 1, anyone who likes to drink cocktails in Park City will have the whole month to sample the offerings from the competing bars and then vote online for their favorite libations; rating each they taste on a 1-to-10 scale, judging both flavor and presentation. Online voting will run through July 31 on the PCARA website, www.parkcityrestaurants.com.

Last year, Brass Tag’s “Evangeline” took first place with an average score of 10 out of 10, earning top marks for its refreshing blend of Beehive Distillery Jackrabbit Gin, cassis vinegar, basil-infused Utah honey, rose lemonade and a garnish or lemon strings and a basil leaf.

 

More than 10,500 votes were cast in the contest.

 

“Online voting was a huge success last year and so much fun,” PCARA executive director Ginger Ries said. “We are very excited to see how this summer’s contest unfolds, and we can’t wait to crown the winner.”

 

In the online-voting format, everyone gets a chance to participate, giving residents and visitors the opportunity to help choose Park City’s summer cocktail champion – and of course one more reason to visit the participating bars and restaurants to sample all the entries.

 

“Any PCARA bar and restaurant can enter, and any patron can vote,” Ries said. “We think this approach works out really well for both our members and for all their guests — and we’re especially looking forward to tasting each of the entries.”

 

The winning cocktail and its creator will be featured in a marketing campaign following the contest leading into PCARA’s popular Fall “Dine About” event. He or she will also walk away with a cash prize and some serious bragging rights.

 

To learn more visit the PCARA website.

it’s that time! Farmers Markets and yard sales go off weekly around Salt Lake City and Park City in the summer. If you’ve never experienced the community of these outdoor “marts”, make it happen this year. There’s no better way to feel a part of your surrounding than browsing oddities, crafts, used goods, baked goods, and giant zucchinis along with your neighbors.

Drive any street on Saturday morning and you’ll see handwritten, fluorescent signs with arrows littering light and street poles. Or head over to the Sunday monthly Urban Flea Market at 600 South Main Street in downtown, SLC. The vendor tents that line the streets put all the junk in one space. No more cruising. Salt Lake City’s biggest -and pretty much only – regular flea market is a great place to find all your white-bread treasures a good Mormon county would have. You can also sell your own schtuff if you don’t mind dragging it to 600 South between Main Street and West Temple, across from Little America Hotel.

Antiques, vintage, secondhand and locally made treasures will be on display 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., July 10, August 14, September 11, and October 9. Food trucks and music will round out the day and each flea market will feature a different animal rescue with animals for adoption.
The market is free and open to the public and there’s plenty of free parking.

Here are the other great on-going “markets” this summer if you’d rather shop for fresh produce and arts crafts weekly:

 

Saturdays:

Downtown Farmers Market, Pioneer Park (300 South 300 West) from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., thru October. A summer tradition for Salt Lake residents. The Market provides opportunities for local growers, food and craft artisans to display and sell items to the public.

Holladay Farmers Market, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., June through October, 2300 E. Murray Holladay Blvd., Holladay.

Thanksgiving Point Farmers Market, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi.
August through September.

Wasatch Front Farmers Market, 10am-2pm, Aug. 1 – Sept. 19 at Water Tower Plaza, Lehi, & 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Gardener Village. A typical day at the market is filled with live music, 50 farmers, artists, & food processors, kids activities, face painting, and much more.

Historic 25th Street Farmers & Art Market, Downtown Ogden Municipal Gardens, 25th Street & Grant Ave, June 25–September 17, 9am–2pm.

L’oakley Community Market, Grassy Area of Cattlemen’s Hall
911 W. Center Street, June 29– August 10, 10 am–3pm

Murray Farmers Market, Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., August through October, Murray City Park, 200 E. 5200 S., Murray.

Provo Farmers Market, Pioneer Park, 500 W. Center Street, Provo, 9am–2pm. June through October.

Sundays:

Park Silly Market, Park City’s Main Street. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. June – Sept. An ecofriendly open air market, street festival and community forum with food trucks, live music and local vendors.

 

Wasatch Front Farmers Market, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m., at Wheeler Farm (South Lawn, 6351 South 900 East). This fun-filled market is set on the grass of Wheeler Historic Farm. From wandering through the farm to enjoying a traditional farm-fresh pancake breakfast, this market has it all.

9th West Farmers Market, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m, June through October, at International Peace Gardens (1060 S. 900 W.). This is the only non-profit farmers/artisan market in Utah.

Wheeler Farm Market, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., 6351 S. 900 E., Murray, June through October,

Tuesdays:

Downtown Tuesday Farmers Market, Pioneer Park, August 4 –October 20, 4pm–Dusk.

 Wednesdays:

Park City Farmers Market, Canyons Resort. A seasonal market held from 12-6 p.m. The market offers a large assortment of fresh local, organic goods from Utah Farmers and vendors.

VA Farmers Market, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., August through September, 500 Foothill Dr., Salt Lake City.

Thursdays:

Outdoor Flower Market, Trolley Square, 700 East 700 South, 10 a.m. to noon. Shoppers will be able to hand pick fresh flowers from a wide variety, including roses, lilies, hydrangeas, Gerber daisies, and much more. Some pre-packaged floral bouquets will also be available for sale.

University Of Utah Farmers Market, Tanner Plaza (201 S. 1460 E), August 29–October 10, 10am–2pm.

Heber Valley Farmers Market, Heber City Park, Main St. between 200–300 S., June 13–August 29, 4pm–9pm

BYU- LaVell Edwards Stadium Farmers Market, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. August through October, 213 E. University Parkway, Provo

University of Utah Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mid-August through Mid-October, Tanner Plaza, 200 S. Central Drive, Salt Lake City.

Bountiful Farmers Market, First E & First S, Above Main St, Bountiful
thru October 29, 3pm–dusk (or 8 p.m.)

Ogden Valley Open Market, Next to the Century 21 parking lot
2628 N Hwy 162, Eden, 5:30pm–sunset

Cache Valley Farmers Market, Logan Historic Courthouse, 199 N. Main, Logan, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Runs through October 17,

Fridays:

Millcreek Community Market, various parks in the Millcreek area, 5pm–dusk.

Murray Park Farmers Market, Murray City Park (200 E. 5200 S.) Fridays & Saturdays, July 26– October 26, 9am–2pm.

Sugar House Farmers Market, 4 Fabian Lakeside Pavilion, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., July through October, Sugarhouse Park, 1500 E. 2100 S., Salt Lake City

Thanksgiving Point Farmers Market, 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi, July 12–September 27, 10am–2pm

Happy Valley Farmers Market, 100 E. Main Street, Orem, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., thru October.