The Salt Lake ValleyOlympic climbers take over the old Bees ballpark this weekend, Riverton's Halloween Bash is free tonight, and Jodi Picoult comes Saturday
Plus pretzel fondue in the Granary, $8 bowling in South Salt Lake, and the airport's last seven gates open Oct. 27.
Good morning, Salt Lake Valley.
The last World Climbing Series boulder event of the year is on a wall built over the infield of the old Bees ballpark on 1300 South, Friday through Sunday. Tickets start at $15, and two Paris Olympians are on the start list.
First, the rain. The valley is under a flood watch, with showers and possible thunderstorms today and a high near 63, then more rain Tuesday and Wednesday with highs in the mid-50s. Thursday turns sunny near 61, and the sun holds through Saturday. Keep the umbrella in the car until then.
📍 30 seconds in the valley⏱️ 9 min read
- 🧗Watch the World Climbing Series finale on 1300 South
- 📚Hear Jodi Picoult at the first Salt Lake Book Festival
- 🥨Order the pretzel fondue at Culinary Dropout
⭐ The Big One
Best $15 of the week
Watch the World Climbing Series finale at the old Bees ballpark
USA Climbing is hosting the final boulder event of the 2026 World Climbing Series Friday through Sunday, and it's built on the infield of the ballpark at 1300 South and West Temple, where the Bees played until they moved to Daybreak. It's the first international climbing competition staged on that infield, with the Wasatch behind the wall. The men's and women's boulder champions for the season get crowned here.
The climbers go up a 4.5-meter wall with pads underneath, and a problem counts when they hold the top hold with both hands. Paris Olympians Brooke Raboutou, who won silver in boulder and lead, and Colin Duffy are expected, along with Annie Sanders, who became the first woman to win two boulder golds this season when she took Innsbruck.
Friday is qualifying, with the men at 9am and the women at 4pm. Saturday has the men's semifinal at 10am and final at 7pm. Sunday has the women's semifinal at 10am and final at 7pm.
Our take
We'd go Sunday night. Sanders is ranked second in the boulder standings going into the last stop, and a women's final under the lights is the best shot at watching an American win something on a Salt Lake wall. Most seats are general admission, with some preferred seats sold closer to the wall, so get there early if you want to see the climbers' hands.⚠️ Heads up: Tickets are no refund. Ride TRAX to Ballpark station at 180 W 1300 South and walk a block east, because the home plate entrance is right on the corner of West Temple. It's an open stadium in mid-October after dark, so bring a real coat.
$ sportsdate nightBallpark neighborhood
📰 Around the Valley
What's left of a tropical storm keeps the valley wet into Wednesday
The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel moved into Utah over the weekend and met a strong Pacific storm, and the Weather Service expected rain from late Saturday through at least Tuesday. Forecasters said many places could get 1 to 3 inches, with more in the mountains, and that even urban streets along the Wasatch Front could flood. The last tropical depression to cross Utah was in 1997.
The airport's last seven gates open Oct. 27
Salt Lake City International opens the fourth and final phase of its rebuild to travelers on Tuesday, Oct. 27. It adds seven gates, including United's arrivals and departures and two common-use gates other airlines can share, plus six more places to eat and shop. The airport is holding a celebration on Saturday, Oct. 24, to mark the end of a $5.1 billion program that broke ground in July 2014.
📅 This Week
Worth it for a free costume night
Take the kids to Riverton's Halloween Bash tonight
Riverton City Park fills with candy, games, and a costume photo station Monday night, and older kids can take on the Scare Rodeo spook alley.
Our take
Little kids get their own games and candy, so the Scare Rodeo is only for the ones who want to be scared. The $8 Chick-fil-A combo means dinner is handled before you leave the park.⚠️ Heads up: Showers are likely tonight and it's all outside. Put a rain shell over the costume, and if the weather turns, call Riverton's recreation office at 801-208-3101 before you load the car.
free kidsHalloweenRiverton
Worth a Saturday downtown
Hear Jodi Picoult at the first Salt Lake Book Festival
Salt Lake City's first book festival runs Saturday at The Gateway with author conversations, panels, live music, and more than 50 local vendors, after a kickoff Friday night at the downtown library. Jodi Picoult, who wrote My Sister's Keeper, headlines with an evening talk at West High.
Our take
The Picoult ticket comes with a presigned hardcover of her new book, Hollow Bones, a photo with her, and entry to the rest of Saturday's ticketed sessions. That makes the 12:15 panel with Survivor's Parvati Shallow and three other authors who wrote books out of reality TV part of the same ticket.⚠️ Heads up: West High is about a five-minute walk from Courthouse TRAX station, and the school has parking on site. ASL interpreters are already booked for the Picoult talk.
$$ booksfreedowntown
Worth it Monday through Thursday
Walk Garden After Dark on a weeknight
Red Butte Garden opens its lit-up evening walk Thursday and runs it through Oct. 30, with timed entry and costumes welcome.
Our take
Opening night is Thursday, the first dry day in the forecast, and it's $5 cheaper than any weekend slot. With little ones, the 5 to 6pm Hocus Crocus hour on Saturdays and Sundays runs before the lights, music, and crowds start. Plan on an hour to an hour and a half, and bring a flashlight for the dim stretches of path.⚠️ Heads up: Regular tickets can't be refunded or swapped, and the event runs rain or shine. If the Visitor Center lot fills, use the Williams Building garage at 295 Chipeta Way.
$ fallfamilieseast bench
Skip unless you're scouting
Skip the Jazz preseason game Monday unless you want a look at Darryn Peterson
The Jazz host the San Antonio Spurs in a preseason game at the Delta Center Monday night. Utah is 1-1 this preseason.
Our take
Lauri Markkanen played 16 minutes in the preseason opener at Denver, which tells you how much you'll see of the starters. Peterson is the reason to go anyway. He scored 23 in the home preseason game against Denver last Tuesday.⚠️ Heads up: It's a rainy Monday night downtown. TRAX drops you at the arena's door, and the garages don't.
$$ basketballdowntown
🏟️ The Scoreboard
The Mammoth come home Tuesday after a 4-1 win in Buffalo
Four different Mammoth scored and Karel Vejmelka stopped 23 of 24 shots in a 4-1 win at Buffalo Saturday, two nights after a 6-1 loss in Boston. Utah finished the road trip 2-1, and the next home game is Tuesday against Toronto.
The Royals are back in Sandy Saturday against Kansas City
Brecken Mozingo's stoppage-time goal saved a 1-1 draw at Racing Louisville on Oct. 3, which left the Royals fourth in the NWSL with 46 points. They've had two weeks off, and Saturday starts a two-game homestand to finish the home schedule.
🍴 Eat & Drink
Worth it before the climbing
Order the pretzel fondue at Culinary Dropout
Culinary Dropout opened Sept. 2 inside the rebuilt Utah Pickle Company building in the Granary District, with the old barrels and brick still in the room. It's the Arizona chain's first Utah location, and the menu runs from wagyu pigs in a blanket to sushi and spicy rigatoni.
Our take
Get the soft pretzel bites with provolone fondue for the table, then the spicy rigatoni. It's less than a mile from the climbing wall on 1300 South, so it's the easy dinner before Saturday's or Sunday's 7pm final. There's live music Thursday through Saturday and brunch on weekends.⚠️ Heads up: The blocks around it are still under construction and parking is tight, so take the free valet.
$$ dinnergroupsGranary District
💡 Hidden Gem
Worth a rainy weeknight
Bowl two games for $8 at Bonwood Bowl
Bonwood Bowl has been rolling on Main Street in South Salt Lake since 1957. It has 42 lanes, a cafe, and the Trophy Room Lounge, and it's open late most nights.
Our take
Shoes are included in the open-play special, so two games on a weeknight costs less than a movie ticket. With the rain parked over the valley through Wednesday, Tuesday night here until midnight beats another night on the couch.⚠️ Heads up: The specials aren't good on holidays, and leagues take lanes on some nights, so call the front desk at 801-487-7758 before you drive over.
$ rainy daycheap night outSouth Salt Lake
🎟️ Also Happening
Hit the last Sandy Farmers Market of the year
The season wraps Saturday, Oct 17, from 9am to 1pm at Amphitheater Park in Sandy.
See Ella Langley and Sam Barber at Redwest
The country festival takes the State Fairpark Friday and Saturday in Salt Lake City, with Shaboozey and Koe Wetzel on Friday.
Walk the Murray Haunted Woods
Silly trails run 5 to 7pm and scary trails 7 to 9pm, next Monday through Wednesday, Oct 19 to 21, in Murray Park.
📰 Valley News
Murray gets a combined Outback and Bonefish Grill on Oct. 21
Bloomin' Brands opens a restaurant in Murray on Wednesday, Oct. 21, that puts Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill under one roof, with one front door, one bar, one kitchen, and one menu. It replaces the Outback in Sandy, which was the chain's first in Utah when it opened in the mid-1990s. Outback's other Utah locations are in Layton, Orem, and St. George.
World Market opens at Jordan Landing
World Market opened an 18,362-square-foot store at Jordan Landing in West Jordan on Oct. 2. It's the chain's 250th store in the country and its fourth in Utah. The store sells furniture, home decor, and imported food and drinks.
The old Leonardo building is being remodeled for city offices
Salt Lake City has applied for a commercial building permit to remodel parts of the former library building on Library Square that held The Leonardo museum. The city is calling it City Hall East, and it plans to move about 70 employees from three departments in, add after-school programs for downtown families, and show Utah art and folk art. Ken Sanders Rare Books is staying in the building.
The Debate
💙 Good Neighbor
Nominate the person who helped this week
If a neighbor did something specific that made your week easier, reply with their name, city, and what they did. We may feature them in a future issue.
Nominate a neighbor →If you only do one thing, buy a $15 ticket for Sunday night's women's final and eat in the Granary first. If the rain has the kids climbing the walls tonight, Riverton's Halloween Bash is free.
Reply and tell us what you're doing this week, or who you're cheering for on the wall.
— The Salt Lake Valley crew
Got a tip, a new opening, or an event? Just reply, we read everything.
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Read past issues · Refer a neighbor · Advertise with us