What's Happening in Provo and Orem | Dec. 16, 2024

What’s Up Provo! Happy Chocolate Covered Anything Day!

A few highlights of today’s newsletter:

• 🦖 Jurassic Jungle Opening Day, Yongsung Kim Paint Night, Santa & Friends, Celtic Christmas

• 🍔 Bobby Flay’s Burgers are now in Orem

• ⚖️ 100-unit apartment building on Canyon Road (Provo City Council meeting)

Local Business
Hive & Pines 🧢 

Check out Hive & Pines if you are looking to shop local this Christmas—or if you just want to get someone a cool, unique hat!

Hive & Pines sells unique, high quality hats so you can rep your favorite team (including your Utah high school team or the Utah Hockey Club), your company, or just rep the state of Utah!

Check out their collections

Check out the entire local holiday gift guide

Nothing in this section is sponsored. We’ll always let you know if something is sponsored.

The Bulletin 📌 

Snow Pack Update ❄️ 

We received more snow than expected from this last storm and there’s more on the way. Article

Bobby Flay’s Burgers are now in Orem 🍔 

World famous chef Bobby Flay has brought his new burger restaurant to Orem! (And if you’ve seen the show, you know that not many people can Beat Bobby Flay in making burgers, or really any type of food.) Premium handcrafted burgers, cooked-to-order fries, and spoon-bending milkshakes! Article

Sports

🏀 BYU women’s basketball defeats Washington State 72-57. Recap
🏀 BYU men’s basketball defeats Wyoming at the Delta Center 68-49. Recap
🏀 UVU men’s basketball drops one against Jackson State 70-66. Recap
🏈 4 cougars receive BIG 12 awards (Will Ferrin, Tyler Batty, Caleb Etienne and Keelan Marion). Article 

Less than 3 days left! 🛑🎁

The last day to contribute to the crossing guard’s Christmas gift at your child’s elementary school is this Wednesday, Dec. 18th! Contribute

For various reasons some schools have not been able to gather as much for their crossing guard’s Christmas gift this year as other schools, so if you have loyalty to any of the following schools please help spread the word!
Sunset View, Cascade, Centennial (elementary), Cherry Hill, Orchard, Vineyard, Westmore, Timpanogos, Orem Elementary, Parkside, Windsor

Today
44° | ⛅️ | 20%

Yongsung Kim Paint Night 🖌️ 

If you don’t know Yongsung Kim, you may know his art. Some of his more recognizable paintings are Walking on Water, Calm and Stars, The Hand of God, and Calming Embrace. Website

Tonight will be a treat (if you can still get a ticket…) as every participant will paint alongside Yongsung at the Framerworks gallery.
For painters of all levels. (Tickets are $20)

Frameworks Gallery | 6:30pm-8:30pm | More info

Lite Brite Nite 🟡 

If you aren’t able to paint with Yongsung, there’s also the Lite Brite Nite at the mall! Outside the mall, in The Orchard, they will be serving free treats, Santa will be there, they will also have music, crafts, face painting, and a life-sized Lite Brite! Sticking with the theme of glowing, colorful, oversized toys, they will also have oversized color-changing shapes (pictured above) that you can play with. Warm up in the mall, or at one of their fire pits, and watch out for the Grinch!
University Mall | 6pm - 8pm | More info

🐍 Pet photo night with Santa
Pets are Santa fans, too. The event details says to bring your “furry friends”, but we can’t say for sure that scaly and slimy friends aren’t welcome as well. Hopefully they are. A picture of your python crying on Santa’s lap would be so cute.
Provo Towne Centre | 11am - 8pm | More info

Also:
👉️ Last night of the Pioneer Christmas event at the Provo Pioneer Village
👉️ UVU women’s basketball takes on Jackson State at home. Tickets 

Tuesday
41° | ⛅️ | 20%

Jurassic Jungle Opening Day 🦖 

It’s Thanksgiving Point’s “largest single-site project to date”, and it opens tomorrow!

“Launch food into the T. rex’s mouth, fix the teeth of a sleeping Spinosaurus, and help the Triceratops family.” It also has “the most… daringly safe playground”. 🦺 

Part of the adventure of Jurassic Jungle is where kids get to solve missions. To do this you have to get one of their wearables (single-use wristband: $1.75, multi-use wristband: $6) and using the wearables you find different markers throughout the Jurassic world, and when your are done you can get some prizes for all your hard work!

Thanksgiving Point | More info

🧒 Sensory Friendly Evening at Thanksgiving Point (Tuesday)
“Families are invited to explore the Museum of Natural Curiosity in a sensory-modified environment with lights turned down, reduced sound, and extra signage to help create a safe and less stimulating environment. There will also be a designated quiet area for those who need a respite. These evenings are reserved exclusively for families and children with special needs, autism, or sensory processing differences.”
Thanksgiving Point | Tuesday (all day) | More info (scroll past the admission section)

Also:
👉️ Christmas in Bethlehem & Zarahemla in Lindon (attendance is free, cookies and hot chocolate are $1)

Wednesday
43° | ⛅️ | 0%

Santa & Friends (Wednesday) 🎅

Anna and Elsa will be at Santa’s Village tomorrow evening in the mall. The sisters are the last of Santa’s friends to be visiting, so don’t miss out! The Santa Village is located between One Love Babe and Maurcies. (Reminder: personal photos with Santa at Santa’s Village aren’t allowed.)
University Mall | 5pm - 7pm | More info

🐎 Holiday Lights Wagon Ride at Jordanelle
Tickets are selling out for the Holiday Lights Wagon Ride! Let their team of Percheron or Belgian draft horses take you through their interactive lasers and light display course. The course usually takes 15 or 20 minutes.
515 State Road 319 Heber City | 6pm - 9:30pm (runs through the end of December) | More info/Tickets

Also:
👉️ Nebo Holiday Chorus and Orchestra Benefit Concert: Handel's Messiah (ages 8+)

Library Corner 🏛️ 

A Celtic Christmas ☘️🎄

This event is full so hopefully some of you were able to register for it when we talked about it last week.(You can join the waitlist—also it looks like this performance will also be at the Orem Library, see the “Also” section below.)

“Dance a jig for Christmas with local Irish band An Rogaire Dubh and the Thomas Cordner Memorial Pipe Band!”

Provo Library (Ballroom) | Monday 7pm - 8pm | More info

A Christmas Carol One-Man Show 🎁 

"I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man.”

“Charles Dickens makes an appearance at Library Hall this evening to share his latest story, A Christmas Carol. Join actor Bryan Johnson in this one-man show featuring the beloved Christmas classic. Doors open at 6:30 PM.”

Orem Library Ashton Auditorium | 7pm | More info

Santa’s Workshop 🎅 

“Drop in to the Story Room to create a fun craft of your own invention! Help Santa's elves prepare for the New Year by making up your own crafts from leftover craft supplies. This program is intended for children ages 0-12 with a caregiver.”

Provo Library (Story Room) | Thursday, December 19 4pm - 6pm | More info

Also:
👉️ Holiday Concert Series: Chauntenettes Women's Chorus at the Orem Library (Monday)
👉️ Batman Returns (PG-13, 1992) at the Orem Library (Monday)
👉️ Polar Express Movie Night and Craft (and hot chocolate)at the Provo Library (Monday)
👉️ Holiday Concert Series: Thomas Cordner Memorial Pipe Band & An Rogaire Dubh at the Orem Library (Thursday)
👉️ Movie Night: It's a Wonderful Life (PG, 1946) at the Orem Library (Friday)

Reminders and Notices ⚠️ 

⚖️ Provo City Council Meeting - Dec 17th
ChatGPT’s summary of the agenda: “The City Council meeting will address several key topics, including the approval of a long-term plan for Northeast Provo and a zoning change to allow a 100-unit apartment building on Canyon Road. Discussions will include updates to the noise ordinance, enforcement of Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations, and implementation of new rental disclosure requirements. Additional items include adjustments to water impact fees, election code amendments, and updates to the Redevelopment Agency bylaws to streamline governance.” More info

🎥 Interactive Family Movie - The Muppet Christmas Carol - Mon., Dec. 23rd
“Kick off your Christmas Break by bringing your whole family to our interactive screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol.” Register/More info

❄️ Learn It: 3D Snowflakes - Jan., 14th
“Add some shimmery snowflakes to your winter décor this year by making your very own 3D snowflakes.” Registration opens Dec. 23rd. More info

Thanks!

Thanks for reading and enjoy some chocolate covered potato chips today! 😉 

-Nicole, Josh, & Carlie

p.s. If someone forwarded this to you, and you aren’t part of the group yet, then sign up here! 👈️