Park City Nonprofit Highlight: Park City Education Foundation

May 16, 2018 by Molly Miller, Colony PR

Park City Nonprofits Provide Support For Any Need

Here in Park City, we have more than 100 nonprofits whose work spans the spectrum of support. From providing things like basic human needs (The Hope Alliance), to access to sport and recreation opportunities for Latino children in our community (The Solomon Fund), to maintenance and upkeep for the trails you bike on and hike with your pup (Mountain Trails Foundation), our nonprofits are committed to making lives in our community better in every single way.

Park City Education Foundation

Among the most spectacular nonprofits in our community is one which works day-in and day-out to provide capital to “go beyond what public education provides to meet the needs of our students, teachers, and community.” The nonprofit spotlight today is on the Park City Education Foundation.

In existence since 1986, PCEF has worked to support and advance academics and student success in the Park City School District in the areas of Academic Success, College and Career Readiness, Early Childhood Education, Professional Development for Teachers, STEM, Student Wellness, and the Arts.

In 2016-2017 alone, PCEF committed $1.5 million in funding to these areas. The Foundation provides 100% of PCSD’s discretionary budget, and PCEF programs reach every single one of our districts 5,000 students.

Here’s a look at PCEF’s impact, broken out into those seven areas of support.

Academic Success

College and Career Readiness

Early Childhood Education

Professional Development for Teachers

STEM

Student Wellness

Arts

How To Get Connected: Running With Ed (RWE)

This race is a win for everyone!
(Photo courtesy of the Park City Education Foundation.)

This weekend, Park City Education Foundation facilitates one of its largest events of the year – Running With Ed. The 9th annual 38-mile relay gets underway on Saturday, May 19. The race is run by teams, in 10 legs, and crosses the entirety of Park City, on trails, pavement, with climbing and quick downhills. There are easy legs and tough ones, and they’ll take you past Olympic venues, iconic landmarks, neighborhood schools, and historic Main Street.

While it’s too late to get a team registered (bookmark it for next year!), you can still sign up to volunteer, donate to your favorite team, and, of course, show up to cheer for the runners! The course begins between 8 and 9:30 a.m., at Newpark Field House in Kimball Junction. From there, teams head to Jeremy Ranch, Ecker Hill, the Utah Olympic Park, Park City Mountain’s Canyons Village, Parley’s Park, Park City Mountain Village, McPolin, Treasure Mountain, Trailside, and then back to Newpark. Whew! Plenty of opportunities to cheer our community on!

Best of luck to all of the runners!

Support PCEF All Year Long

While RWE is one of PCEF’s largest fundraising events, there are many other ways for people to give. From the Give $180 campaign, to the Scholar Circle, to Men4Ed, to the Red Apple Gala, any philanthropic contribution you provide is sure to enrich the lives of children attending Park City schools. If it means more to you to get out and get involved, there are dozens of volunteer opportunities throughout the year. However you show your support, your efforts make a difference!

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Have a favorite Park City nonprofit you’d like highlighted? Email us: Molly@thecolonywpc.com.

Park City Event Guide: May 11-13, 2018

May 11, 2018 by Molly Miller, Colony PR

Park City Event Guide, May 11 – 13

This weekend, we celebrate the women who raised us! (If you’re in need of brunch options, look no further than this list, courtesy of Park City Magazine.)

SHOP (FOR A CAUSE)

Girls’ Night Out
Friday, May 11: 4 – 8PM

Shop for your mom, with your mom, or with your girlfriends – all for a good cause. Your $10 donation will go to The Christian Center of Park City’s Back-to-School Basics event, which provides hundreds of children in our own community with $100 to buy clothes they need to head back to school.

As a thank you for your donation, you’ll get a tote filled with discounts, a voucher for dinner at Salty Pineapple or Fry Me To The Moon, selfie station photo ops, in-store activities, and other surprise perks! If you plan to attend, be sure to REGISTER ONLINE.

DO

Saturday Morning Nature Walk
Saturday, May 12: 8:30 – 10AM

Explore the Swaner Preserve wetlands with a guide. You’ll learn about the wonders of the wetlands, native plant and animal species, and the history of the Swaner Preserve. Keep your eyes peeled for an abundance of birds, elk or even nesting sandhill cranes.

Beautify Park City
Saturday, May 12: 9AM – Noon
Events are family-friendly; work gloves and bags will be provided. Bring a water bottle, sturdy closed-toe shoes, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

PRIDE IN YOUR PARK CLEANUP
Join a crew to pick up trash and recyclables in the city parks, waterways, roadsides, and fields.
Meet at City Park Bandstand | 1354 Park Avenue

ARBOR DAY TREE PLANTING
Help us celebrate our 25th year as a Tree City! Each participant will receive a free tree seedling to take home.
Meet at Prospector Park | 2500 Wyatt Earp Way

Young Bike Riders Swap
Saturday, May 12: 8AM – 5PM
Sunday, May 13: 11AM – 3PM

The Young Riders Bike Swap serves a couple of different purposes. For some, it’s to snag a bike. For others, it’s to get rid of all the old equipment in our garages. Proceeds raised help fund the Young Riders organization, which was “founded in 1996 as a way to keep kids happy and healthy when the snow melts.” Happening at The YARD, 1251 Kearns Blvd. May is National Bike Month and Park City has a plethora of ways for you to enjoy it!

READ

“Park City Hiking Guide”
Park City is home to one of the most incredible trail systems in the world, and a new guide has just been published to help you navigate them. There are maps and directions for 45 hikes in the “Park City Hiking Guide,” written by Park City local Beverly Hurwitz, a physician and a lifelong hiker.

Paths through Park City Mountain are included in the book, among other areas in town. Also included: info on trail etiquette, hiker safety and first aid. A perfect gift for locals and guests alike! The book is available at Dolly’s Bookstore, Cole Sport, The Market at Park City, Right at home, Switchback Sports, J.W. Allen & Sons Toy Store, and Amazon.

WATCH

Cheerleaders vs. Aliens → World Premiere by YouTheater at Egyptian Theatre
Friday, May 11: 7PM
Saturday, May 12: 2 & 7PM

Aliens invade a small town and abduct the high school football team to harvest their brain jelly, and no one steps up to save them — except the Greenville High School Cheerleading Squad. Rhymes, cartwheels, and glitter contribute to the save-the-day fun.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Savor the Summit: This event fills up quickly, so be sure to reserve your spots now for Park City’s Largest Outdoor Dinner Party! This year, join 2500 other diners on Saturday, June 16 for an open-air community celebration on Main Street.

Big Stars Bright Nights: Tickets are now available for purchase for the 15th consecutive season of outdoor concerts from Park City Institute and St. Regis. Shows this year include Los Lonely Boys, Grace Potter, and Bruce Hornsby and The Noisemakers.

Deer Valley Concert Series: Tickets for the inaugural series go on sale Friday, May 11. The five-show series will include shows from The Decemberists, Gavin DeGraw, and Jason Mraz. It joins the two concert series events already held at Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater; the Deer Valley Music Festival and the (free) Grand Valley Bank Community Concert Series.

Park City Event Guide: April 13-15 2018

April 13, 2018 by Colony PR

SEE: Wild Encounters: Photography by David Yarrow

Wild Encounters is a must-see for nature lovers, conservationists, photographers and anyone who is inspired by all that remains wild.

Yarrow’s photographs offer an intimate view of some of the world’s most compelling—and threatened—species, capturing the splendor and very soul of what remains wild and free in our world through portraits that feel close enough to touch.

Swaner Eco Center
Through May 13

HEAR: Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels

Devil With a Blue Dress On? That’s the hit! Ryder brings his classic tune to Park City, along with other songs that stretch from his soul-man Motown roots through R&B, gritty rock, to a bluesy funk groove.

Friday & Saturday – 8 PM

Egyptian Theatre

If punk is more your speed, The English Beat plays OP Rockwell Saturday, April 14th.

WATCH: Park City Film Series

Mud season can’t slow down the PC Film Series. Three showings of Journeys End, an intelligent, meticulously crafted drama about British soldiers in the trenches of World War I, plays the Jim Santy Auditorium Friday – Sunday.

Tales of the Night, presented in French with English subtitles, take viewers on a global journey this Saturday as part of the Foreign Cinema…For Kids! Program.

DO: Golf Season

One of the advantages of Park City life is the ability to play sports from multiple seasons back-to-back – sometimes even on the same day. 36 holes are open at Mountain Dell in Parleys Canyon (I-80) – conveniently located on the way to or from Salt Lake, should you want to dust off the skis for some morning powder in the Cottonwoods, and hit the links in the afternoon. We call it the Utah biathlon.

Stay tuned to the blog for a golf guide to the Park City area, as well as other spring and summer activities.

Spring Fever

April 10, 2018 by Colony PR

Here in the mountains, the season others know as spring, we affectionately refer to as “mud season” to describe the period in between skiing and hiking, biking and golf. However, there are several options to take care of that case of “spring fever” if you are careful and plan ahead.

Hiking and Mountain Biking

Generally speaking south facing trails receive more spring sun to melt out and dry faster. Typically Round Valley (Hwy 40) and Glenwild (between Kimball and Jeremy Ranch) are the first to be ready to foot or two-wheeled traffic.

The trails you can expect to dry out first are Blackhawk and Stealth in Glenwild and Somewhere Elk & Nowhere Elks in Round Valley. Each of those trails are open to both hiking and biking, and tend to be busier on weekends and warm afternoons.

Both Mountain Trails and Basin Recreation provide great resources for planning a day out including updated trail conditions and handy maps. It is imperative to stay off trails until completely dry, as using them in muddy conditions can cause damage to the surface which could last all season, or permanently widening them from users who walk or ride around wet areas.

Road Cycling

Road cycling is great within The Colony, providing plenty of uphill options and fun loops you can create on your own. Other quiet areas for a road ride are the Pinebrook and Jeremy Ranch neighborhoods, both of which provide a similar set up of climbs and descents. Jeremy gets more sun if the temps are cooler.

For flatter road rides, head out to the town of Heber City and ride a loop that includes the neighboring area of Francis. Stunning views of Mt. Timpanogos dominate the scene above your handlebars, and the surrounding bucolic farmland is a perfect spring backdrop for a pedal.

Wildlife

Due to the immense amount of open space at The Colony, wildlife such as moose, elk, and deer regularly frequent the area. In spring, it is a safe bet to simply grab a pair of binoculars and observe passing wildlife from the comfort of your deck.

Animals respond to longer days and warmer weather much in the same way we humans do – soaking up as much outdoor time as possible and exploring our surroundings. Additionally, much of our local fauna are caring for their young while coming out of a winter slumber at the same time, making them incredibly unpredictable – especially moose – so be sure to give animals plenty of space and keep a safe distance.

The Swaner Nature Preserve offers an additional opportunity to see wildlife – from elk to nesting sandhill cranes – in nearby Kimball Junction. This project of Utah State University offers complimentary nature walks each Saturday morning led by a naturalist.

Golf

The closest option outside Park City is Mountain Dell, located off I-80 in Parleys Canyon between SLC and Park City. As of this writing, they had 18 holes open, with a second 18 holes set to open soon. Stay tuned for a full blog post on golf options in the Park City area to plan your rounds for spring and summer.

Closing Day: April 8th, 2018

April 6, 2018 by Colony PR

The last day on skis, when the lifts spin for the final time, might seem like sad day, but at Park City, it’s more like an on-mountain party. Spring is just ahead with flowers blooming and wildlife sightings, as well as summer hiking, biking and golf – speaking which, stay tuned next week for more on these topics – but saying goodbye for a final time to winter calls for a celebration.

Both Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort plan to close April 8, with several fun events planned. Deer Valley’s closing weekend will feature several live music options, including Lash LaRue and Muddpuddle.

Find the lineup deervalley.com.

Park City Resort hosts one of the most unique parties on Saturday, April 7 – the annual Pond Skimming competition. Contestants don costumes, gather some speed downhill and attempt to cross a near-freezing pond. Most do not make it, leading to roars of laughter from the crowd!

Catch live music, the Thin Air Innovation Festival and more throughout closing weekend at Park City.

All events can be found here.

Thin Air Concert

Deer Valley Resort, in conjunction with Park City Mountain, will host the third annual Thin Air Concert on Main Street. The show will feature Citizen Cope, (a.k.a. Clarence Greenwood). Cope’s music is an eclectic mix of rock, blues, hip-hop, and folk influences that fuse together to form a unique, soulful sound. For Thin Air 2018, he’s bringing along an ensemble of musicians for an amazing night of acoustic-driven rock. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. on lower Main Street.

More skiing

If you are still jonesing for a few more turns, Alta and Solitude both stay open until April 15, Brighton is planning on April 22, while Snowbird intends to stay open as long as they have snow – some years well into May or June.

Epic Pass

It’s never too early to think about next year, and the Epic Pass in on sale already. The Epic Pass will cost $899 and is the best way for Utah skiers and riders to access Park City Mountain’s 348 trails all season long. If you are OK with blackout dates and other limitations, the Epic Locals Pass is available for $669.

There were several upgrades to the Epic Pass as well, including the addition (with limited access) to Telluride in Colorado, Hakuba Valley in Japan and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, bringing The Epic Pass to now offer access to a total of 61 resorts worldwide.

Passes can be purchased at EpicPass.com

IKON Pass

With Deer Valley’s sale and acquisition, the newly formed Alterra resort group has introduced the IKON Pass for their family of resorts, which includes Deer Valley, AltaSnowbird, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Aspen & more.

Offered at two different levels, either $599 or $899, unlimited skiing is available at about a dozen resorts, plus either five or seven days at the rest of the participating 26 worldwide resorts.

More information is available at ikonpass.com

Park City Dinner Dining Guide

April 3, 2018 by Colony PR

New York. Paris. Tokyo. Park City. Those are the first four cities that come to our mind for food, and it should be yours too. With Zagat rated restaurants and award-winning chefs, Park City, is dining destination unto itself.

Chefs like Zane Holmquist at Stein Eriksen Lodge, Seth Adams at Riverhorse on Main and Bill White helped put Park City on the foodie map a few decades ago. The local gourmet scene took off from there and has not slowed down since. New restaurants open regularly, events such as ChefDance (held during Sundance) and a slew of summer dining events keeps diners on their toes year-round.

Need more convincing? Here are our favorite dinner spots.

Firewood on Main

Reclaimed bricks and timber bring the alpine feel of this relatively new Main Street eatery to life, along with the sight of an open flame through a wall of windows peering into the kitchen. Cooking over a custom-made grill—one of only four of its kind—Chef John Murcko rotates fresh, local ingredients to create a “multi-sensory culinary experience.” Chef’s menu includes wild game, such as elk, as well as more familiar cuts such as lamb chops and New York Strip, and several seafood options.

Private dining options are available as well, with the option of using multiple bar areas including the building’s original 1906-era Nickel Bar. The restaurant can even arrange private entrance via Swede Alley.

Reservations Recommended

Handle

Chef Briar Handly is a relative newcomer to the Park City dining scene, quickly earning accolades from food critics, locals and visitors alike. Seasonal ingredients inspire Handle’s locally driven menu of small plates that run the gamut on influences.

Set in a dimly lit dining room with rustic accents and a statement wall of quirky, nature-influenced artwork provides a perfect backdrop for standout dishes like the buffalo cauliflower or Scallops smothered in lobster and crawfish etouffee. Inventive cocktails accompany the menu to round out a memorable meal.

Handle has already expanded to a second location, HSL, in downtown Salt Lake City.

Tupelo

Tupelo is a restaurant where the meal is truly a journey. That journey is the exact intention of Chef Matt Harris. Inspired by global travel through food, Harris and his team have put together a menu that includes everything from local Utah mushrooms to Maine mussels and Sonoma duck breast and everything in between.

Adventurous diners can opt for inventive dishes such as the “Utah Chicken Fried Rabbit” or, for those with more traditional taste buds buttermilk biscuits, kale caesar and local trout are presented with fresh and exciting twists.

Grappa

Bill White’s flagship Italian restaurant blends an alpine villa feel with hearty Italian dishes. While the cascading patio is brilliant in summer months, the warmth of the interior is a cozy place for a winter meal. Let’s be honest – does anything smell better than marinara sauce on a winter evening? Of course not – and Grappa smells, looks and feels like you are in the Italian Alps and you found the local go-to spot for a big meal.