INTERNATIONAL FOOD FEST
You thought the Wasatch Front was pretty white-bread? Think again, and come to the Wasatch International Food Festival where you can sample the delicious ethnic foods from across the Wasatch Front. The event features local food vendors, a specialty foods market, a family fun zone, live music, a beer garden, a community mural project and food demonstrations. West Valley City, Utah's second largest, is a dynamic blend of ethnicities and cultural groups, and reflects the area's rich cultural tapestry.
Proceeds benefit the thousands of students, families and communities that participate in arts and cultural programs at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Utah Cultural Celebration Center Festival Grounds, 1355 W. 3100 South, West Valley City, 801-965-5110, Friday, Aug. 19-Saturday, Aug. 20, $5, VIP $25, under 12 free, FoodFestUtah.org
CULTURAL CORE OPEN HOUSE
Here's a way to help ensure the future of the arts in Utah. Come to an open house to meet people who are making this happen, to voice your opinions and to hear where these ideas are headed. The Cultural Core—a venture between the city and county—provides resources to increase audience participation, and market the variety of arts and culture venues and programs in the downtown area. Central Utah Art Center, 177 E. 200 South, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 4-6:30 p.m.; The Rio Gallery, 300 S. Rio Grande St., Wednesday, Aug. 24, 9-11:30 a.m., 801-535-6006, free, open to public, Bit.ly/2bnCkkB
AUTHOR READINGS
From family matters to fantasy, you can join book lovers to hear two authors read and sign their newest books. Local author Bonnie Glee will read from Invisible Son, an adopted boy's journey from one mother to another. Later in the week, author S. R. Atkinson reads from and signs her new book, Surface Tension, the second in The Siren anthology, which "combines the hidden-world immersive experience of Harry Potter with the underwater adventures of The Little Mermaid." Experience the personal vibes of the authors themselves as they read the words they wrote. Weller Book Works, 607 Trolley Square, 801-328-2586, Invisible Son, Saturday, Aug. 20, 3 p.m., Surface Tension, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 6:30 p.m., free, WellerBookworks.com
