St. George couple ‘hatching’ a new era of excitement at former Evermore Park
-
- Michelle and Travis Fox, owners of the property formerly known as Evermore Park, are shown outside of the venue.
-
- The outside tower and gates of the venue formerly known as Evermore Park are shown with new banners “Hatch the Egg.”
-
- The outside facade of the venue formerly known as Evermore Park is shown with new banners “Hatch the Egg” on Aug. 15, 2024.
For months, the parking lot and gates at what was formerly known at Evermore Park in Pleasant Grove sat closed and vacant. While the gates still aren’t open, work is underway to keep the venue intact with a new name, new ownership and a new direction.
Also new is a “quest” through which the public can discover clues about the future of the property and potentially win thousands of dollars in prize money.
The fantasy-themed attraction Evermore has stood on a 12.7-acre lot just east of the Pleasant Grove Boulevard exit for six years. In April, owners of the park announced its official closure, citing financial troubles. As the Daily Herald previously reported, former Evermore CEO Ken Bretschneider said the COVID-19 pandemic, a drop in ticket sales and ongoing inflation were some of the catalysts that led to their decision to shut down.
Brandon Fugal, chairman of Colliers International, which owned the property where the venue sits, noted that tenants at the time “failed to make their business plan and operating model work,” The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Earlier this month, Fugal announced the private sale of the land in a press release. “The defunct park, now transitioning to an enigmatic new phase, will undergo extensive renovations before revealing its revamped purpose,” the release states.
The news release reveals that the new owners “are launching an engaging community initiative called ‘Hatch the Egg.'”
“The new owners wanted to create an exciting and immersive way for the community to connect with the venue’s transformation,” Fugal said in the release. “Hatch the Egg is designed to be a fun and rewarding experience, igniting curiosity and anticipation for the incredible future that lies ahead.”
Michelle and Travis Fox of St. George have taken over ownership of the property, and they describe “Hatch the Egg” as an engaging quest to discover clues about what the future holds for the park. The quest will encompass collaborations between the community and local businesses.
The press release compared “Hatch the Egg” to the excitement of Pokémon Go as participants have the chance to win cash prizes by cracking the clues and unveiling the venue’s new direction.
The Foxes said several cash prizes will be awarded later this year, with one person winning $20,000.
A “Hatch the Egg” app has been developed to help participants decipher clues. They are also encouraged to follow along at YouTube channel “Realm Tube.” The “Realm Tube” platform gives a sneak peek into what the Foxes call the “renovation quest.” The social media strategy has also featured an animal quest, and a quest aimed at colleges and universities is coming soon.
“Everything is housed in an app, and that app takes them through each one of those adventures. So, it shows, hey, here are all the quests coming up, and here’s the ones that are up for this week to solve or go visit,” Michelle Fox said.
The couple said the venue became of interest to them while filming a commercial almost four years ago, “and we had walked on property for the very first time, and we looked at each other, and we’re like, this is meant for us. Someday, we’re going to own this, and now, you know, three plus years later, we’re now standing here as the new owners,” Michelle Fox said.
“I think the community wanted it saved, and wanted it saved so that it stayed in the entertainment world, that stayed in the community aspect world, and it also continued to be one of the landmark icons for Utah,” Travis Fox said.
Excitement and curiosity about what’s to come may be one of the reasons Hatch the Egg has amassed around 3,000 subscribers in two weeks, according to the Foxes.
While catering to community interest, the Foxes are also making sure the infrastructure aligns with their vision on the inside and external grounds.
“We’re also moving to a much eco-friendlier venue, and that’s on how we do our dry-scaping versus landscaping, our water consumption, how we’re doing that, moving into other eco-friendly experiences. So that you know this is a significant venue, we want to make sure that it doesn’t have a negative impact on the community,” Travis Fox said.
Details about when the park will open are set to be revealed gradually through the “Hatch the Egg” campaign while renovations are underway.
In the meantime, people are encouraged to take part in the tournaments and learn more at hatchtheegg.com.
