What's Happening in Provo & Orem | Dec 2nd, 2024

What’s Up Provo!

It’s Cyber Monday, and to celebrate check out the Local Holiday Shopping Guide (released on Black Friday). We highlighted a lot of great local companies selling everything from wooden watches to wearable sleeping bags, and from butterflies to artisan chocolate. 🦋⌚️💤🍫

(Also, don’t tell your kids, but it’s also National Skip School Day as well.)

A few highlights of today’s newsletter:

• Orem Market Lights On Event 🎄 Hale Center’s A Christmas Carol 💰️ Christmas Crèche Exhibit ⭐️ Ice sculptures at the Riverwoods 🧊 

• Wasatch Nature School: Forest Tots 🌲

• Ski resort opening dates ⛷️, also Accessory Dwelling Unit permit to be repealed?

Local Business
Wasatch Nature School 🌲

What started as the “bug club” is now the Wasatch Nature School, with multiple locations and hundreds of students!

The Wasatch Nature School centers its education around well designed play and explorative learning experiences in the outdoors (and in every season).

Just last week they introduced their newest program: Forest Tots.
Forest Tots is a once a week “Caregiver and Me Program” for toddlers ages 15 months - 35 months. It will be starting mid February 2025.

Some things you can expect from the Forest Tots class:
🗺️ Guided exploration
🎶 Singing
📗 Children's literature
🐸 Nature walks
🎭️ Puppetry
🧘 Mindfulness
and, of course, play! 🧒 

Check out WNS, read through their FAQ, schedule a school visit, or see their class schedule and class registration page. (Also, for select classes they are offering 50% off for the first month’s tuition!)

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

The Bulletin 📌 

BYU beats Houston 🏈 

BYU defeated the Houston Cougars 30-18. Highlights
Also, having the perspective of being grateful for the season they had rather than focused on what could have been. Article

BYU women’s volleyball gets the 5 Seed 🏐 

The NCAA tournament is here and BYU will be playing Loyola Chicago in West Lafayette, Indiana on Thursday at 1:30pm MST. Article

Crossing Guard Christmas 🎁

Contribute to a community Christmas gift for the crossing guard at your kid’s elementary school!

Also, help them win a friendly competition by voting for them here. (The winning crossing guards get a cash prize, in addition to the gift from the community.)

Why crossing guards? Let’s just say crossing guards hold a special place in our hearts.❤️ It’s cold and sometimes dangerous work, they keep our elementary school kids safe, and many of them go the extra mile to put a smile on each kid’s face at the start and end each school day.

💳️ Be one of the first to contribute a dollar or two to your crossing guard’s gift (a prepaid Visa card). (Credit card, PayPal, or Venmo accepted)*
✉️ Write a Thank You note
🗳️ Take a second to vote!
📣 Finally, let’s make sure every crossing guards gets a gift—so help get the word out! (Instagram, Facebook, Nextdoor, etc.)

*No need to know the crossing guard’s name in advance, there is a dropdown with each crossing guard and their specific intersection.

Today
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Annual Lights On Event 🎄 

Orem’s Holiday Market is bringing in the holiday cheer with Santa, musical performances, free rides on the Orem Express, real reindeer, holiday drone show, free hot chocolate ☕️ and donuts 🍩, and lighting of over 90 trees.
Orem City Center Park | 5pm-8pm | More Info (scroll to Orem’s Holiday Market)

💰️ Scrooge

The first performance of Hale Center’s A Christmas Carol is today, and if you want to go this season we suggest getting tickets soon. Some nights are already selling out, and there is limited seating available for most of the performances from now until Dec 20th.
Hale Center Theater | Dec 2nd thru Dec 28th | More info

Also:
👉️ Ice sculptures at the Riverwoods
👉️ Peter Breinholt Christmas Concert at the Covey Center
👉️ The Utah Baroque Ensemble at the Orem Library
👉️ Grizzlies Night at the Lehi City Ice Rink

Tuesday
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Christmas Carolers in the Mall 🎶 

Ding dong merrily on high! Look at what’s happening at the University Mall! Every Tuesday evening this month there will be carolers roaming the halls singing everything from the First Noel to Last Christmas!

We actually aren’t sure if they’ll sing Last Christmas or not—don’t quote us on that—but either way, it will be great to enjoy this heartwarming tradition in a physically warm setting like the mall!

University Place | 6pm-8pm | More info

Petra Lecture Series: New Evidence From Petra Jordan ⚱️ 

Dr. Johnson has been researching in Petra for decades (he was there the week before Harrison Ford and Sean Connery filmed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade at Petra) and on Tuesday he will be giving a lecture on his latest research findings from Nabataean burials. RSVP for a seat at this free lecture.
BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures | 7pm to 8:30pm | More info

Also:
👉️ BYU men’s basketball plays at Providence at 6:30pm MST
👉️ Free Woodwind Chamber Night concert at BYU at 5:30pm
👉️ Free Brass Chamber Night at BYU at 7:30pm
👉️ Music at the MOA: Bach & Bloch from 3pm to 4pm (also free)

Wednesday
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Away in a Manger (Interfaith Christmas Crèche Exhibit) ⭐️ 

Admission is free and the exhibit will run from Wednesday to Friday this week. The exhibit will be held in the chapel next to the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork.

850 N 900 E, American Fork | Wednesday 5:00pm – 8:30pm | Thursday 12:00pm – 8:30pm | Friday 12:00pm – 8:30pm | More info

👻 A Christmas Carol : A One Man Band
Bryan Johnson (an experienced actor with credits at both Hales and the Scera, and many others) will be performing a one-man performance of A Christmas Carol. “The script is based on the readings of A Christmas Carol that Charles Dickens would perform during his lifetime, with some modifications that Johnson made.” So come and enjoy the Charles Dickens amazing story and Bryan’s amazing talent—for free!
Springville Library | 7pm | More info

Also:
👉️ 5th Annual Christmas Event - if you need an extra hand this Christmas then please come! No questions or paperwork | More info
👉️ Songwriter's Showcase at BYU at 7:30pm
👉️ Payson Community Creche, indoor and outdoor exhibit with musical performances

Library Corner

Our librarians are rested after the holidays and are ready to bring their “A game” this week!

And if one library is good, three are better—so we’re including some Orem and Springville Library events to keep on your radar.

Provo Library

Utah Valley Handbell Choir 🔔 

“Ring in the holiday season with this annual musical tradition! Online registration required. Please only register for one concert.”
Concert for Young Children
Provo Library | Ages 0-8 | Monday @ 6pm-6:30pm | More Info/Register
Concert for Ages 8 and Up
Provo Library | Ages 8+ | Monday @ 7pm-8pm | More Info/Register

The Attic Open Mic

“Listen to local talent perform at this acoustic open mic night. If you are interested in performing, meet us up in The Attic by 6:30 PM to sign up. We have a piano and an acoustic guitar available.”
All Ages | Friday @ 7pm-8pm

Also:
Upcycling Regalos | All Ages | Tuesday @ 7pm-8:30pm
Felted Stories: Family Ornament Workshop | All Ages | Wednesday @ 6:30pm-7:30pm
Película de Familia en Español: IF | All Ages | Saturday @ 11am-12:40pm
Utah Authors Day | All Ages | Saturday @ 2pm-4pm

Orem Library

Holiday Concert Series: Utah Baroque Ensemble

“Bring your family, every one, for our traditional sing-along concert with the Utah Baroque Ensemble. The choir will alternate music from their Christmas repertoire with rousing, familiar carols to sing-along with the audience. “
All Ages | Monday @ 7pm-8pm (doors open at 6:30pm) | More Info

Holiday Concert Series: Utah County Flute Choir

“The Utah County Flute Choir is an audition-based performing group featuring the vibrant, rich variety of piccolo, C flute, alto flute, and bass flute.”
All Ages | Thursday @ 7pm-8pm (doors open at 6:30pm)

Also:
Film: The Holiday (PG-13, 2006) | Monday @ 6:30pm-8:30pm
Christmas Classics for Kids: Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer | Tuesday @ 10am
Christmas Classics for Kids: Olaf’s Frozen Adventure | Wednesday @ 10am
Family Movie Night: The Grinch (PG, 2018) | Friday @ 6pm-8pm
Film: Gremlins (PG, 1984) | Friday @ 6:30pm-8:30pm

Springville Library

Utah Authors Day

“Come meet over 20 authors! Books and merchandise for sale! Refreshments!”
Saturday 12pm-2pm | More Info

Also:
A Christmas Carol: A One-Man Band | See more details under Wednesday’s events | All Ages | Wednesday @ 7pm

Reminders and Notices ⚠️

⚖️ Provo City Council Meeting
The agenda for this meeting includes allowing larger signs along I-15 and repealing the ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) Special Use Permits pathway. The meeting is at 5:30pm on Dec 3rd. More info

🎙️ All-4-One Concert
Tickets are on sale for this April concert in Provo. “I Swear” this event will be a popular one and it is expected to sell out! More info

🎿Ski Resort Opening Dates
Sundance is opening up December 4th (also, December 4th is the S Card purchase deadline), and a number of resorts are open already. Below is a screenshot of the webcam of the Sundance Base over the weekend. See ski resorts opening days

Thanks!

Thanks for reading! Make it a great 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! 👈️