What's Happening in Provo and Orem | Dec. 11th, 2024

What’s Up Provo! Happy International Mountain Day! Hopefully you can get up in the mountains today to ski or just to enjoy the beauty. 🏔️ 

If you can’t escape to the mountains today, don’t worry, it’s also Noodle Ring Day. So there’s that…

Actually, there’s a lot more! Let’s get into it:

• Top events this Wednesday/Thursday: Gallery Talk at the MOA ✏️ Jazz Ensemble 🎷 and the Opening of the Dreamwalk 👩‍🚀🍄✨

• Upcoming this Friday & Saturday: Sundance Tree Lighting 🎄🎿 and more

• Volunteers needed: 🎶 Carolers needed and 🎁 Stitching Hope for Orphans Service Project

The Bulletin 📌 

Crossing Guard Competition 🏆️ 

Crossing Guard Christmas is in full swing and EVERY elementary school crossing guard in Provo and Orem will be getting a gift this year. 🎁 

Many people have already started donating to the gift for their crossing guard—and it has been very heartwarming to see the messages people are leaving on the donation page and to see the generous donations roll in.

(There is one week left to donate, the gifts will be handed out to the crossing guards at each school by Dec. 19 or Dec. 20th.)

In addition to the gift, we have helped spearhead a competition! The winners will get an extra $700 added to the gift for their school’s crossing guard! The Orem schools have been dominating, and Orem Elementary was the top school for a while, but now Windsor is the favorite to win the cash for their crossing guards. (See image above) But still one week left to vote!

Vote for your school’s crossing guards—and share this link with your neighbors

The #1 recruit chooses BYU 🏀 

Welcome to “PROvo”. Reports are that NBA scouts have been regularly using the Provo Airport, and that is not going to change next season. Recruit AJ Dybantsa, the likely #1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, is “the highest-rated recruit and first-ever five-star high school recruit to sign with the Cougars as he is rated as the top recruit in the country according to ALL recruiting services.” (emphasis ours)
Article & Highlights | The Story of How it happened (including a Sunday evening “cookie walk” with Danny Ainge and AJ’s parents)

Today
42° | ⛅️ | 0%

John Held, Jr.' Gallery Talk ✏️ 

He went under the pseudonym of “Myrtle Held” for a while because he was too shy to use his own name. But he eventually became one of the most famous cartoonists of the 20s & 30s, with his work appearing many times in Life, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and more. (He also snuck in a lot of references to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his artwork, something to look for as you tour the exhibit.)

And for a limited time only, guest curator, Glen Nelson, is here to take people on a 30-minute guided tour and share insights about John Held, Jr. as an artist and as a person!

BYU MOA | 12:10pm - 12:40pm | More info

🎷 Jazz Ensemble: Swingin' In the Holidays!
It’s just a 1920s/1930s kind of day! Enjoy some jazz era Christmas songs as well as many other swanky tunes at BYU for one of the more popular jazz concerts of the year.
BYU Concert Hall | 7:30pm | More info

Also:
👉️ Bloom- A Cappella Holiday Show at UVU
👉️ BYU men’s basketball takes on Fresno State at the Marriott Center
👉️ It's A Wonderful Life - Radio Play at the Timpanogos Valley Theatre
👉️ Mountain Strings and the Trombone Choir (free) at BYU

Thursday
44° | ⛅️ | 20%

Dreamwalk 👩‍🚀🍄✨

This is how Dreamwalk is being described: a micro theme park, an immersive and supernatural experience, a portal to another world. 🌌 

This is a passion project of John Pope and Ben McPherson and something they have been working on for over 3 years! Their goal is to give people an experience like no other.

What it’s like according to KSL, “After arriving at the park, patrons are brought into a sci-fi-esque spaceport and greeted by a robot who helps them begin their voyage. Participants are given decoder wands (UV flashlights) and a portal pass (a microchipped card) they can use to find clues on the walls and unearth hidden creatures.”

Much more could be said about it—it will be changed up often (so you can go multiple times a year and get a different experience each time), people might spend all day or 2 hours inside this micro theme park, there are hidden scenes and “games you can activate”—but the last thing we’ll say is that it open to public today!

University Place | Open most days from 5pm - 10pm with extended hours on Saturday | More info | Watch the video

🎅 Santa’s Art Shop
Free and no registration required! Have some cookies and milk and make some art with Santa at the Springville Art Museum.
Springville Museum of Art | 5pm - 7pm | More info

Also:
👉️ Yoga at the MOA
👉️ Holiday Concert Series: Orem Chorale at the Orem Library
👉️ A Krampus Karol at the Angelus Theater in Spanish Fork (Winner of “Best Music” and two-times winner of “Best Production”)

UPCOMING: Friday & Saturday
Friday: 38° | ⛅️ | 20%
Saturday: 45° | ⛅️ | 20%

Sundance Tree Lighting 🎄🎿 (Friday)

With the setting and the snow, there might not be a better place for a Christmas Tree Lighting celebration then Sundance. Here’s what’s happening and at what time: It starts at 5pm and there’s going to be live music (Timpanogos Ringers), at 5:25 they will have the Opening Ceremony and then the tree lighting (is this when Santa shows up?), and at 5:40 they will have complimentary cookies and hot chocolate plus more music!
Sundance | 5pm-6:30pm | More info

🐂🛷 Pioneer Christmas (Friday)
Honor Utah’s history and enjoy a unique Christmas festival. The Pioneer Christmas festival will have music, storytelling and Father Christmas. We don’t know if you sit on Father Christmas’s lap or not, (we feel like the answer is “not”), but it should be a fun one either way. (Also free treats!)
The Provo Pioneer Village | Friday, Saturday, and Monday from 5pm-8pm | More info

🎨 Stroke of Genius Friday & Saturday)
If you are going to be shopping at the mall, or waiting for your turn at the Dreamwalk, head over to the Frame Works Gallery near RC Willey and watch the artwork as it happens! This time the artist will be Liz Lemon Swindle.
Frameworks Gallery | Friday @ 2pm-8pm & Sautrday 11am-5pm | More info

Also:
👉️ BYU women’s basketball plays Washington State in Washington at 7pm MST (Friday)
👉️ Taylor Swift Night at the Lehi City Ice Rink, wear your coats because it is going to be a Cold As You kind of night on the rink (Friday)
👉️ Holiday Concert Series: Lark and Spur at the Orem Library (Friday)
👉️ It’s a Wonderful Life Film Screening at the BYU MOA at 6pm (Friday)
👉️ Skate With Santa at the Peaks Ice Arena (Saturday)
👉️ Ugly Sweater Party at Sundance (Saturday)

🎸 Live Music

@ The Velour (BATTLE OF THE BANDS 🎸🆚🎸 
Today - Lonnefelt, Bat Brain, A Few Feet High, Sabrina Fair
Thursday - Spirit Machines, Caysn, Orcamind, Madfish
Friday - Crewless, Just Khakis, PRKR, Garden Drive
Saturday - Winners from Monday through Friday!

@ The Boardwalk
Friday - evelynthebassist, Moron Kelly, Lucy Break, digitalcalisto

Wellness Wednesday: Service Opportunities 💝

Stitching Hope for Orphans Service Project 🟩🟦🟥 

“Join Stitching Hearts Worldwide & Krohn Breakthrough Foundation for a fun filled evening of service! Dec. 16th 5pm-8pm 1440 Moon River Dr. Provo, Experience Event Center.

🧣 Tie quilts and scarves
🎅 Meet Santa & Grinch
🎙️ Live entertainment
🏆️ Register early - get a raffle ticket for special Christmas Quilt & other prizes
🍪 Christmas goodies available

Bring the whole family, open house style, come and go!”
More info

🎶 Carolers Needed for the Provo Pioneer Christmas THIS FRIDAY
“Carolers are needed for each of the three nights of “A Pioneer Christmas”. Gather your friends or family members and step back in time to help us celebrate an old-fashioned 1800’s Christmas in Provo, Utah. Volunteers will dress in period-appropriate winter apparel and sing carols from the pioneer time-period. Help with clothing items and guidance on music selection will be provided.” More info

🥳 Volunteers needed for Provo’s Carnival 2025 Countdown
“All volunteers will be provided with dinner at the event, 1 day of free entrance into the Rec Center, and Sodalicious vouchers for a free drink AND cookie as a thank you. Anyone who volunteers for both shifts will also receive a gift card for your extra help! Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you on December 31st!” More info

Thanks!

Thanks for reading! Make someone else’s day 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! 👈️