Explore your own backyard: Cedar City and the livestock festival

Explore your own backyard: Cedar City and the livestock festival

(Cedar City and Brian Head Tourism Bureau)


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Nowadays, travel is really more about being social. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are chalked full of selfies that provide proof that "Hey, I was here! Look what I did!" Folks embrace the selfie in Cedar City and want you to discover selfie-worthy places and Utah bucket list experiences... because there are many!

Whether it's taking a scenic drive amongst stunning fall colors and red rock vistas, scoring coveted front row seats at the Utah Shakespeare Festival's production of "Charlie's Aunt," maybe seeing the true depth of the cosmos at Cedar Breaks National Monument; hiking a slot canyon or experiencing a parade where SHEEP are the main event.

Go ahead, strike a pose and share with all your friends and family to see (and be jealous of). Dare to adventure for your "selfie" and visit Cedar City to share this little piece of heaven with the world!

The fall season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival continues until October 31st in the opulent Randall Jones Theater. The season includes three plays presented in repertory including the hilarious romp "Charley's Aunt," Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and the spine tingling thriller "Dracula." Tickets range between $32 to $73. Learn more at www.PLAYTIX.com

You've heard the old saying, "it's all about the journey and not the destination." Luckily for those traveling in southern Utah, the journey really is part the destination — thanks to the scenic byways.

Photo credit: Cedar City and Brian Head Tourism Bureau
Photo credit: Cedar City and Brian Head Tourism Bureau

Scenic Byways are officially designated highways that weave through vast landscapes connecting towns, national parks, monuments and forests along the way. Cedar City is fortunate to have not only one, but THREE scenic byways that loop into a seamless, picturesque drive perfect in the fall!

Take National Scenic Byway 143 through the forested heights of Brian Head, then through red rock wonder of Cedar Breaks National Monument, then down Byway 14 with its scenic vistas into Zion and Kolob to Cedar City. Tons of stops for the selfies.

Just east of Cedar City is the scenic gem of Cedar Breaks National Monument. An astonishing natural amphitheater situated at 10,500 feet (3,200 meters) and home to curious wildlife and wizened Bristlecone pines who've been hanging around since the last millennium.

Spectra Trail at Cedar Breaks National Monument. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Spectra Trail at Cedar Breaks National Monument. Photo credit: Shutterstock

There are many adventures at Cedar Breaks like hiking, photography and nature walks but perhaps the most amazing activity is star gazing. With Cedar Breaks high elevation and being far removed from light pollution of big cities, the skies are some of the darkest in the country and make an ideal location to marvel at the stars above. So much so, that in 2012 USA Today named Cedar Breaks as one the "Top 10 Best Places to Stargaze."

A truly stunning adventure is hiking through a narrow rock passageway or slot canyon-definitely one for your bucket list. While many slots in southern Utah can be a bit extreme (requiring a guide and some repelling gear), Kanarraville Falls located just ten minutes south of Cedar City, offers a moderate slot canyon hike that is family friendly.

[A photo posted by Bill Church (@billchurchphoto)](https://instagram.com/p/36Z8xPtfE1/) on

Kanarraville Falls | Photo credit: Bill Church

Mark your calendars for October 23-24th to experience one of the most unique events in Utah. The Cedar City Livestock and Heritage Festival truly celebrates their agricultural heritage with cowboy poetry, music and Dutch oven cooking; draft horse pull, Darryl Worley concert and stock dog demos.

The real highlight, though, is the Sheep Parade. That's right, Sheep Parade, where over a thousand head of sheep are paraded down Cedar City's Main Street as part of their annual migration from the mountain pastures to desert grazing lands. This is a sight not to be missed!

In the spirit of exploring your own backyard, here's a list of some other events happening around the great state of Utah.

  1. San Juan County: Free lecture series at edge of the Cedars State Park. Free lecture one Saturday each month through October 2015.
  2. Carbon County: Enjoy $5 and $10 cash cards for out of town visitors good at restaurants and gas stations through October.
  3. Flaming Gorge: Spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife enhance our world class outdoor activities.
  4. Uintah County: Join us as Dinosaur National Monument celebrates 100 years. Special activities, events, and projects will help celebrate the diversity of the park.
  5. Heber Valley: Heber Valley Western Music & Cowboy Poetry Gathering (Oct. 28 - Nov.1).
  6. Bear Lake: Rent a UTV or ATV and ride a mountain trail surrounded by beautiful scenery.
  7. Kanab: Celebrating the 20+ new species of NEW Dinosaurs discovered on the Grand Staircase National Monument (Oct. 16-18).
  8. Box Elder County: Corn mazes and festivals throughout Box Elder County.
  9. Logan: Fall in love with Fall: Beautiful leaves, harvest festival, pumpkin walk, corn mazes, affordable family fun.
  10. Salt Lake City: Drinks, brats and Bavarian fanfare at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. (Aug. 15-Oct. 11)
  11. Moab: Moab Folk Festival, Experience great folk music in the heart of Utah's red rocks. (Nov. 6-8, 2015) To learn more and see all of the opportunities fun around Cedar City, visit visitcedarcity.com

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