A free comedy taping in Orem, Pride and Prejudice, and a football night
Plus a free Lindon picnic, a $20 short-rib Benedict, and the latest Utah Royals result.
Good morning, Happy Valley.
Storyteller Bil Lepp films his first full-length comedy special at The Noorda Center Wednesday night. The ticket is free, but the audience is part of the recording and seating is limited.
Pride and Prejudice is onstage in Pleasant Grove Tuesday through Saturday, downtown Provo gets a free football festival Friday, and Bluegrass Thunder plays Lindon Saturday night. We also checked the Utah Royals' latest result and found one Provo brunch plate worth ordering.
📍 30 seconds in the valley⏱️ 8 min read
- 🎙️Get a free seat for Bil Lepp's comedy taping in Orem
- 🎭See Pride and Prejudice at The Ruth
- 🏈Bring canned food to First Down Provo
⭐ The Big One
Pick of the week Bil Lepp films a free comedy special at The Noorda
Storyteller Bil Lepp is filming his first full-length comedy special at The Noorda Center Wednesday night. The complimentary ticket puts the audience inside the recorded performance, so laughter and reactions become part of the finished show. The listing recommends the program for ages 6 and older.
Our take
Go if you want a live storytelling show and do not mind cameras in the room. Lepp is recording the full special, so this is different from a regular tour stop.⚠️ Heads up: The program is listed for ages 6 and older. A free ticket is still required for entry.
free free date nightstorytellingolder kids
📰 Around the Valley
Vineyard's cancer campus is moving into vertical construction
Huntsman Cancer Institute has started vertical construction on its 284,000-square-foot Vineyard campus after crews installed 830 foundation supports. The institute expects the exterior structure to begin rising this fall. The current schedule calls for a June 2028 certificate of occupancy and the first patients in September 2028.
American Fork's Elle Anderson won Miss America's Teen
Elle Anderson of American Fork was crowned Miss America's Teen 2027 in West Palm Beach Saturday. She won preliminary awards for violin and evening gown before taking the national title. The winner's scholarship award is $30,000.
📅 This Week
TUESDAY-SATURDAY
Choose a performance Pride and Prejudice runs all week at The Ruth
The Ruth's production of Pride and Prejudice runs 2 hours and 40 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. Evening performances start at 7:30pm Tuesday through Saturday, with two additional Saturday matinees. The theater calls this a returning sellout production and lists one cast for Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday and another for most remaining nights.
Our take
Choose a weeknight if price matters. The midweek range starts lower than Friday or Saturday evening, and you still get the same 2-hour-and-40-minute production.⚠️ Heads up: The production uses haze and theatrical lighting, plus a gunshot sound effect. Children age 3 and younger are not admitted.
splurge Jane Austentheater nightolder kids
FRIDAY
Bring a food donation Bring canned food to First Down Provo
First Down Provo turns the Historic Utah County Courthouse grounds into a free football festival Friday night. The program includes live music from 19 Miles Per Hour, fire dancers, food vendors, children's activities, and a Cougs Care canned-food drive. The first 2,000 people receive a free Swig drink.
Our take
Bring canned food for the local food bank, catch the band, and let the kids see the Provo Fire touch-a-truck display. You can get the football-weekend crowd without buying a stadium ticket.⚠️ Heads up: The festival uses Center Street between University Avenue and 100 East. Plan to park outside that block or take UVX downtown.
free football fanslive musicfamilies
TUESDAY
Pick a game Use the game shelf at a free Payson game night
Center of the Universe Cafe hosts a free family game night every Tuesday. Bring a game from home or choose one from the cafe's shelf, then take a table for the two-hour session. The host invites families and friend groups.
Our take
Use this when you want to get out tonight without buying a ticket. A game from home removes the time spent learning rules, while the cafe shelf keeps it easy if you decide late.⚠️ Heads up: The game night is free. Food and drinks from the cafe are separate purchases.
free board gamesTuesday nightfamilies and friends
SATURDAY
Go before lunch Shop the last three weeks of Provo's summer market
Provo Farmers Market runs Saturday mornings at Pioneer Park through September 26. The market gives local growers and small businesses a place to sell directly to shoppers. Admission is free, and the summer hours stay at 9am to 2pm through the final September market.
Our take
Go for breakfast and a produce bag, then leave before the afternoon heat. September 26 is the final market with the 9am summer opening.⚠️ Heads up: The market continues in October, but the opening time moves from 9 to 10am after September 26.
free local produceSaturday breakfastdowntown walk
🏟️ The Scoreboard
A late Boston goal handed the Royals a 2-1 loss
Utah Royals FC lost 2-1 to Boston Legacy Friday after conceding the deciding goal in the 86th minute. Kiana Palacios scored Utah's goal in the 17th minute from goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn's long pass. The Royals remain third in the NWSL and travel to Houston Saturday.
Orem, American Fork, and Skyridge won Friday
Three Utah County teams posted clear wins Friday night. Orem beat Springville 42-14, American Fork beat Farmington 41-13, and Skyridge beat Liberty of Nevada 24-20. Lehi also beat ALA-Queen Creek of Arizona 27-12.
🍴 Eat & Drink
Order this Block Restaurant, Provo
Block serves brunch from 10am to 2pm Tuesday through Sunday. The $20 Bistro Benedict puts braised short rib and two poached eggs on sourdough, then adds hollandaise and breakfast potatoes. The menu also has a $22 filet and eggs plate and a $14 croissant French toast.
Our take
Order the Bistro Benedict for the braised short rib. The sourdough, poached eggs, and potatoes make it a full lunch, not a pastry stop.⚠️ Heads up: Block closes between brunch and dinner service. The restaurant is closed Monday.
moderate brunchsavory breakfastnorth Provo
👨👩👧 Family & Free
Free indoor stop Gilded Paradise at the BYU Museum of Art
The BYU Museum of Art displays an 18-foot gilded plaster recast of Lorenzo Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. BYU students and conservators spent a decade researching and repairing the panels before adding the gilded finish. The casts had been found in storage at BYU-Hawaii. The exhibition stays up through October 24, and museum admission is free.
Our take
Stand back first so you can see the full 18-foot door, then walk the panels one scene at a time. The restoration story is what turns this from a quick lobby stop into a museum visit.⚠️ Heads up: The museum is closed Sunday. Campus traffic will be heavier before Saturday's BYU football game.
free free museumrainy afternoonolder kids
🎟️ Also Happening
🎸 Emjay Hink EP release at Velour
Emjay Hink plays an EP-release show Thursday at 7:30pm at Velour Live Music Gallery, 135 N University Ave in Provo. Tickets are sold through 24Tix.
🪕 Bluegrass Thunder in Lindon
Lindon's free Picnic in the Park starts Saturday at 6pm at City Center Park, 200 N State St. Bring dinner, a blanket, or lawn chairs for the Bluegrass Thunder set.
📚 Alpine Library storytime
The volunteer-run Alpine Library holds storytime Tuesday at 11am at 491 Alpine Hwy. Books and crafts are free, and registration is not required.
📰 Valley News
Utah County offers free naloxone training and kits
The Utah County Health Department is offering free overdose-response training and naloxone kits to county residents. The class covers how to spot an opioid overdose and administer the nasal spray. Residents can schedule a class or request a walk-in appointment at the Health and Justice Building in Provo.
A new Home Depot site is under construction beside University Place
Construction is underway on a new Home Depot site beside University Place and Costco. Orem planning records place the project at about 655 E Park Ave on roughly 9.27 acres. The city reviewed the site plan and a plat amendment earlier this year. No opening date has been posted.
The Debate
💙 Good Neighbor
Choose a Saratoga Springs service project
Saratoga Springs is running 9/11 Days of Service from Tuesday through Friday. Projects include cleaning neighborhood trails and sidewalks, clearing storm drains, and helping cover student lunch balances through the Alpine School District Foundation. Registration is appreciated but not required.
Pick a project →That is the week ahead. Bil Lepp films Wednesday, First Down Provo starts Friday at six, and Lindon's picnic concert starts Saturday at six.
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— The Provo FOMO crew
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