What's Happening - May 16, 2025

What’s Up Provo! Congrats to BYU’s new A.D., Brian Santiago! May BYU’s recent success continue. Also, Happy National Pizza Party Day! 🍕

Highlights from today’s newsletter:

In Partnership with
Sensify

Themed sensory boxes targeting all five senses! Here are some of their themes: Gingerbread, color, heart, rainstorm, coral reef, pumpkin, and apple pie. 🥧

The boxes have flashcards, different textures, pictures, scratch 'n sniff…there’s even a recipe and a QR code so the kids can listen to different sounds/songs/stories that go along with the theme.

Check out their collections
🥧 🔵 🍪 🪸 🎃 ⛈

Reach thousands in Provo and Orem + hundreds of new readers each week. Spots are filling up for May, June, and July!
Learn more | Partnership form 🤝

🎵 The Osmonds: A New Musical will premiere in Provo
Daily Herald — “Kicking off their North American leg of the tour in Provo holds significance… many of the massive successes and devastating losses… took place in Provo.”
“The musical has played over 200 performances over the past two years throughout England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...”
The debut will be March 12 - April 4, 2026 (tickets on sale now)

🏈 Brian Santiago Named BYU Director of Athletics
"We’ve established some great positive momentum – maybe some of the best momentum we’ve ever had in sports at BYU. It’s important for us to protect that. We have a department filled with excellence. We have coaches, administrators and support staff who are all in. We’re going to continue to do this united and do it for one purpose: strive for excellence, do it together and help each other."

📈 “Nearly half of Utah’s population growth happened in Utah County in 2024”

Sports
⚾ BYU beats Utah 9-8 Article

Once again, we’re packing in the events on Saturday, and it feels like more free food than normal 🙌, let’s hope the weather cooperates…

Today
65° | ⛅ | 20%

🎸 Live Music at the Riverwoods & University Mall
The Revels are live at the Riverwoods playing classic rock hits, and Orem Chorale will be performing “A Bit of Broadway Magic” at the University Place.
The Riverwoods | 6pm – 8:30pm | More info
The Orchard at University Place | 7pm | More info

🔫 Teen Night: Laser Tag
Laser tag, treats, prizes, super smash tournament — the Springville Library will be quite the party tonight!
Springville Library | 6:30pm - 8:30pm

🎬 Dive-In Movie: Surf’s Up
The first of many movies in the pool at the Provo Rec this season!
Provo Recreation Center (Competition pool) | 7:30pm

👉 Also:
Wandering Wizards Grand Opening at the Provo Towne Centre (May 16 - 18, vendors, face painting, D&D, etc.)
Heber Valley Railroad – Vintage Shoot Train - giveaway
Thread Custom Tote Night at Thread Wallets ($35)

Saturday
72° | 🌧 | 20%

Kid vendors, music and food! Also, here are some kid-specific start up ideas we’re hoping will be there:

🥤 Chameleon Cup - A cup that changes color when you tap on it. Never worry about mom & dad giving you the wrong color cup.
👕 EZ Teezy - A shirt that doesn’t have any seams or tags, and that somehow looks the same when you wear it backwards.
🛏 Flood Guard - A mattress protector that actually works.

Provo Rec Center | 11am - 1pm | More info

Back by popular demand! This time the theme is Under the Sea.

6:00 - 6:30 pm: Art Royalty Presentation (doors open at 5:30 pm for program attendees)
6:00 pm: Event Starts for Full Ticket holders
6:30 - 7:45 pm: Dinner Served
7:30 pm: Dance Starts for Dance Only Ticket holders
6:30 - 9:30 pm: Live Band and Dancing

Springville Museum of Art | More info

🛶 Paddle with Care
Proceeds will go to support the Life Jacket Loaner Program. So bring your kayak, canoe, paddleboard, or swan pedal boat for a 2.25-mile guided route through the Provo River Delta, and then enjoy food trucks, games, booths, and prizes!
Provo River Delta Restoration Project | 9am–12pm

🌻 Flowers and French Toast
Free French toast breakfast!
Create your own flower pots to take home, kid-friendly activities, presentations by gardening experts, and community booths offering info on low-cost gardening, practical landscaping, and conservation. Bring your family, friends, and appetite!
Geneva Park | 9am–11am

🚲 Cargo Bike Round-Up
“Great opportunity for anyone even mildly interested in family biking or active transportation...” Bring your own lunch or dish, drink, or dessert to share.
Quail Orchard Park (522 E 3900 N, Provo) | 10:30am – 12pm

🎂 Community Action Services & Food Bank's birthday
Games and crafts and giveaways. Plus, the first 200 attendees get a meal voucher for the Potluck Kitchen food trucks at the event!
815 S Freedom | 11am - 2pm

👉 Also:
Slate Canyon Saturday 2025 service project from 9am to 11am in Provo
Things That Go from 10am to 12pm at the Provo Library
Tulip Festival Last Day at Thanksgiving Point
US and Art Closing Sale in PG - free food plus lots on sale (paint, paintings, furniture and more)
Inception Drive in Movie at the Provo Towne Centre

Next Week Sneak Peak 👀

🐶 Classic Sheepdog Championship and Festival at Soldier Hollow
🐯 Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit at Thanksgiving Point

Friday

AGO Utah Valley Chapter Closing Social at the Orem Orchard Stake Center at 6pm

Saturday

May the Force Be With You Yoga at the Orem Library (for grades 7 - 12)

Utah County FTR 3rd Annual 5k from 9am to 11am in Provo

Women of Steel Triathlon in American Fork

Joe’s Valley Pump-A-Thon at the Joe’s Valley Camping and Bouldering Area

Discounts & Giveaways 🤑

mapleton real deals
25% off your favorite item this weekend
In-store only at 20 W Maple St, Mapleton UT

Rodizio's
One child (11 and under) eats free per paying adult on May 26 with Full Rodizio meal purchase
Mention offer in-store at Rodizio Grill Provo

Swig
Chance to win Swig Cash
Comment your go-to Swig order to enter

Orem City
Oremfest carnival wristband pre-sale for $35 (regularly $45)
Purchase in person at the Orem Help Center, new City Hall

the yard milk shake bar
Bring back your souvenir cup for 20% off your next shake

throw.artstudio
Win a $100 Beadology gift card and a date night class at Throw Art Studio
Follow @beadology_utah and @throw.artstudio, like the post, and tag friends. Share to stories for 5 extra entries

splash summit waterpark
Win 2 Lagoon tickets or 8 Splash Summit tickets with parking and tubes
Follow on Instagram or Facebook, like the post, and tag 3 friends. Share to stories and tag for bonus entries

heber valley railroad
Win free tickets for the Vintage Photo Shoot Train on May 16
Comment which era you’ll dress up as

@calledtosurf
Win a piece from the Harbor Haze collection
Comment your favorite item for a chance to win

@mobettahs
Free food and prizes at Friends & 'Ohana night on May 22
Like the post, follow @mobettahs, and tag a friend to get an invite

@wafflelove
15% off for 2025 graduates at Utah locations
Bring in cap and/or gown
Valid through June

✅ Repair those sprinklers
We love pretty much everything about spring and summer, but turning on your sprinklers for the first time to see what busted over the winter is kinda the worst. What’s helped this year is this useful trick for when you’ve simply nicked one of your pipes while planting hydrangeas or something. (It even worked on a leaking coupling joint.)

✅ Level up your lawn care
Aeration is something we know about but don’t really know about. Also, sounds expensive. So hear are some cheap alternatives to aerators compared side by side to expensive ones. Also maybe we should be dethatching instead?

✅ Get those weeds that beat the weed n’ feed
You probably have weeds despite the pre-emergent you applied, the internet says to spot-treat them with a herbicide or manually remove them. If you don’t love using herbicide, and you have pretty good aim, check out this tool. Saves time and your back.

*none of these are affiliates, also if you have lawn care tips you or your company would like to share let us know

If we could ask a favor it would be to please tell us what you think.
👉 Leave us a comment

Share What’s Up Provo

@Java Junkie
Friday - Open Mic
Saturday - Orchard of Strings, Ryan Solo

@ The Rise
Friday - Grimwood, Rachel Reynolds

On Monday we’ll send a list of ticketed/register only events coming up and please remember to forward this to a fan of James Christensen! 😉

(And if you know a mattress protector for kids that actually works let us know!)

-Nicole, Josh, & Carlie

Reach thousands in Provo and Orem + hundreds of new readers each week.
Learn more | Partnership form 🤝

Learn more about WUP — check out the links below 👇️