Utah Arts Festival

Heber Valley Powwow and Mountain Man Rendezvous

Experience Native American music, dance, and culture at the Heber Valley Powwow June 27-29 at Soldier Hollow in Midway. Admission $6. Children 6 and under are free. Friday at 6 p.m. is the grand entry and intertribal dancing until 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday gates open at 11 a.m., dancing begins at noon and continues until 10 p.m. The Powwow is a unique opportunity to view a range of traditional dance styles and regalia, as well as to hear storytellers, and see Native American arts and crafts and taste traditional food. Enjoy Mountain Man demos on Saturday and Sunday.

Lavender Days

Celebrate the Lavender harvest June 27 and 28 at Young Living Lavender Farm in Mona. Young Living is the largest lavender farm in North America. Experience 120 acres of lavender in full bloom. Enjoy cooking and gardening classes, paddleboat rides, pony rides, professional jousting, live music, and more. Tickets are available at the gate: $8.50 adults; $4.50 children ages 4-12, children 3 and under are free. Gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Reel Science or Real Science?

July 1 is science movie night at the Salt Lake City public library, 210 E. 400 South. A free screening of "Them," a 1954 classic terror-ific big bug movie. 6:30 p.m. The A-bomb has spawned a colony of giant murderous ants bent on destruction. After the movie, join Maggie Shao, Assistant Professor of Horticulture at Utah State University, for a discussion on insects and horticulture.

Note, parking meters are free after 6 p.m.

"We The People" Musical Revue

Come hear the legendary Janie Thompson in her last public performance. "We The People" is a 45-minute Broadway-style review celebrating our great American heritage. This performance will appeal to both young and old. The free performances are at the Provo Tabernacle, 100 South University Ave., Provo, on July 2 and 3 at 6 and 8 p.m., and on July 4 at 2 and 4 p.m.

Colonial Days

Step back in time and celebrate the Fourth of July with the Founding Fathers (and Mothers) at the Crandall Historical Printing Museum in downtown Provo. Colonial Days is a free four-day celebration July 2-5. The area on around the Printing Museum, 275 E. Center, Provo, becomes a Colonial Village featuring men and women dressed in period clothing, demonstrations of candle making, leatherworking, butter churning; stage productions, Colonial encampments, a Mayflower replica, Indian Village, and a grand march on Friday at 10 a.m. The colonial village will be open from 10 a.m. to dusk, except on July 4 when it will open after the parade (approximately 11:30 a.m.)

Hogle Zoo Military Appreciation Day

On July 2, all military personnel, veterans, and their immediate family (spouse and children under 18) will receive free admission to the zoo with a military or veteran ID. The zoo's gate hours are daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (zoo grounds are open until 6:30 p.m.) Regular admission is $8 for adults, $6 for children/seniors, children under 2 are free. The zoo is located at 2600 E. Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City.

Earn a free book

Kids in grades 1-6 can earn a free book from Barnes and Noble when they read 8 books during the summer. Fill in the Summer Reading Journal (available at the store or download from www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading) for each book read. Have a parent sign the completed journal and bring it to a Barnes Noble bookstore by Sept. 2 to receive a coupon for a free book.

Chess for Kids and Open Chess

Improve your chess skills every Thursday at the Orem Library. Volunteers are available to help children at Kid's Chess from 4-6 p.m. and players of any age during Open Chess from 6:30-9 p.m. Bring your own board if possible and meet on the main floor in the Storytelling area. No charge.

Giant Outdoor Chess

Enjoy a game of "giant chess" on the outdoor chessboard on the south side of the SCERA theater. A set of chess pieces that are over a foot tall can be checked out from the manager from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, and from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. There is no charge to use the chess pieces, but a driver's license is required. Chess pieces may be reserved by calling April at 225-2569 x1011.

Orem Heritage Museum

Located on the second floor of the SCERA building, 745 S. State, Orem, the Orem Heritage Museum is a permanent collection of over 30,000 artifacts of local history. The museum includes Indian and pioneer artifacts including a large arrowhead collection, rocks and minerals, veterans and POW exhibit, a model of Orem in the 1940s with a working miniature railroad, a model circus, antique agricultural and household tools, household treasures -- including a working Victrola, and a motorcycle ridden by the "Mormon Daredevil." Admission is free. Summer hours: Monday-Friday, noon-7 p.m., Saturday, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

Camp Floyd/Stagecoach Inn State Park and Museum

In 1858, 3500 troops, nearly 1/3 the U.S. Army at the time, were brought to Camp Floyd to suppress the rumored Mormon rebellion in Utah. With no rebellion taking place, the troops were recalled in 1861 with the outbreak of the Civil War. Interpretive displays and photos describe the history and activity of Camp Floyd. View uniform insignia, bullets, and currency. Many of the artifacts were recovered from an archeological dig on the original site of the camp.

Nearby Stagecoach Inn was an overnight stop on the historic overland stage and Pony Express route. The two-story adobe and frame hotel has been restored with original period furnishings

In addition to the museum, the park has grass and picnic areas. Children will enjoy participating in the park's Junior Ranger program.

Located in Fairfield (From I-15 take Lehi exit #279 and travel west approximately 22 miles), the museum is open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. seven days a week.

Admission: $2 per person or $6 per family.