🫶 Date ideas for May 14-26

👉 Kilby Block Party 2026 👈

Kilby Block Party is one of those events that genuinely shouldn't exist in Salt Lake City — and yet somehow it does… and gets better every year.

This year's lineup is headlined by Lorde, The xx, and Turnstile, with Hayley Williams, Modest Mouse, Blood Orange, Father John Misty, Japanese Breakfast, Magdalena Bay, Lucy Dacus, Beach Bunny, and 60+ more spread across three days at Utah State Fairpark.

Gates open at 11:30 am both days.

Three-day passes are still available. Single-day Sunday tickets work if you want to ease in. This is the kind of weekend that becomes a story you tell years down the line.

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Conversation Starters 🗣️

We like to give you something interesting to talk about on your date night. Here are some questions you can ask on your date that might lead to some meaningful conversation:

• What's a song or album that was the soundtrack to a specific season of your life — and what do you actually feel when you hear it now?

• Is there something you wanted to be or do as a kid that you quietly gave up on — and do you actually miss it?

• If we could go to any concert or music festival anywhere in the world this year with no budget, where would we go and why?

These questions come from the Gottman Card Decks app. [Download it free here.]

🌸 Happening all spring…

Yoga classes, farmers markets, and other chill activities:

🆓 Sunset Yoga at The Gateway | Every Tuesday in May, 7pm, Olympic Plaza, SLC — free, all skill levels, DJ Drew provides the vibe

🆓 Wheeler Farm Sunday Market | Every Sunday May 17–Oct 11, 9am–1pm, Murray — OPENING this Sunday. Local produce, vendors, farm atmosphere

🆓 Red Butte Garden Spring Hours | Open daily 9am–dusk — wildflowers and peonies at peak before the summer crowds arrive ($3–8)

🎭 Ongoing Shows (running through June):

Hale Centre Theatre: The Wizard of Oz | Opens May 15, runs through June 27, Sandy — see Shows section for full details

Desert Star Playhouse: The Princess Bride — Inconceivably Funny | Through June 6, Murray — dinner theater comedy, great recurring date

Salt Lake Culinary Center Date Night Classes | Ongoing Fri–Sat evenings — recurring hands-on cooking for couples, check their calendar for this month's menus

🎵 Music

🎸 Kilby Block Party 🕐 Saturday–Sunday, gates 11:30am 💰 3-day pass from $249 · single-day tickets available 📍 Utah State Fairpark, SLC (Lorde, The xx, Turnstile, Hayley Williams, Modest Mouse, and 60+ more — the best indie festival in the country, somehow in our backyard.)

🎸 Los Lobos — 4-Night Residency 🕐 Fri May 15, Sat May 16 & Sun May 17 @ 8pm 💰 $65–85 📍 Egyptian Theatre, Park City (One of the great American live bands — rock, Tejano, roots — in the most intimate theater in the state. Driving up to Park City for a show at the Egyptian is one of those dates that feels bigger than it is.)

🎸 Eric Johnson — Texaphonic Tour 🕐 Friday, May 15 @ 8pm (doors 7pm) 🔞 21+ 📍 The Commonwealth Room, SLC (Grammy Award winner — "Cliffs of Dover" is one of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded. If you appreciate real musicianship, this is the show of the weekend.)

🎸 The California Honeydrops 🕐 Saturday, May 16 🔞 21+ 📍 The Commonwealth Room, SLC (Soulful, high-energy R&B and funk — the kind of live band that makes you want to move. Great alternative if the festival energy of Kilby isn't quite your vibe.)

🎸 Protoje — Reggae Invasion 🕐 Saturday, May 16 @ 8pm 🔞 21+ 💰 From ~$97 📍 Soundwell, SLC (One of Jamaica's best modern reggae artists, in SLC's most intimate venue. An unexpected date-night pick that will feel special.)

🎸 Baby Keem 🕐 Saturday, May 16 @ 8:30pm 💰 From $128 📍 The Union Event Center, SLC (Kendrick Lamar's cousin and one of the most electric live acts in hip-hop right now. Big energy, big room.)

Coming up:

• Yellowcard + New Found Glory + Plain White T's — Beddy's Plaza, Sandy | Thursday May 21 (every emo anthem you grew up with, one night)

• Riverdance — 30th Anniversary Tour — Eccles Theater | May 22–24

• Big Head Todd & The Monsters — Red Butte Garden Season Opener | May 31

🎭 Shows & Performances

🎭 Ballet West: The Choreographic Fest VII 🕐 LAST DAY — Saturday, May 16 @ 3:30pm 📍 Jeanne Wagner Theatre, Rose Wagner PAC, SLC (World premieres from a Tony Award-nominated choreographer — the kind of show you almost miss and are really glad you didn't. Closes Saturday.)

🎭 Hale Centre Theatre: The Wizard of Oz 🕐 OPENS May 15 — runs through June 27 💰 $62 adults / $45 youth 📍 Hale Centre Theatre, Sandy (One of the most polished community theaters in the state. If you've never been to Hale Centre, The Wizard of Oz is the perfect excuse.)

🎭 Plan (C) 🕐 CLOSING May 16 — final performances this weekend 📍 Leona Wagner Black Box, Rose Wagner PAC, SLC (A new play by Andrea D. Peterson — closing this weekend. Worth catching if you want something smaller and less predictable than a musical.)

🎭 The Princess Bride: Inconceivably Funny 🕐 Fri–Sat evenings · runs through June 6 📍 Desert Star Playhouse, Murray (Dinner theater comedy parody of The Princess Bride — one of SLC's most underrated recurring date nights. Consistently funny and includes a meal.)

🆓 Living Traditions Festival 🕐 Fri May 15: 5–10pm · Sat May 16: 12–10pm · Sun May 17: 12–7pm 📍 SLC Civic Center, 422 S 200 E, SLC (40th annual multicultural festival — live music, dance, crafts, and food from dozens of traditions, with the Smithsonian joining this year for the US 250 celebrations. One of the most underrated free weekends in the city.)

😂 Off Broadway Theatre — Comedy Improv 🕐 Friday–Saturday evenings 📍 Off Broadway Theatre, 272 S Main St, SLC (Longform improv in a small downtown theater — reliably funny and a completely different energy than stand-up. Worth knowing about.)

😂 Andrew Schulz 🕐 Friday–Sunday 📍 Wiseguys Comedy Club (Rickles Room), SLC (One of the biggest names in stand-up working today. If you're sitting out Kilby, this is your Friday night.)

😂 Kennedy 🕐 Friday–Saturday, May 15–16 📍 Wiseguys Comedy Club (Gateway Showroom), SLC (MTV's Kennedy doing stand-up in the Gateway Showroom — a different room and tighter set than the Rickles Room. Check the Wiseguys calendar; both shows are running this weekend.)

😂 Comedy Church at Wiseguys 🕐 Sunday, May 17 @ 7pm 📍 Wiseguys Comedy Club (Rickles Room), SLC (If Sunday becomes a date night, Comedy Church is the move — a rotating lineup of local and regional comedians. Low-key, late-in-the-weekend energy.)

🎭 Pattie Gonia at The Complex — Rockwell 🕐 Saturday, May 16 📍 The Complex, SLC (Outdoor-advocate drag performer and one of the most joyful live acts working right now. A wildcard pick if you want something completely different this weekend.)

✨ Experiences

✨ Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival — FINAL DAY 🕐 LAST DAY: Saturday, May 16 | 9am–8pm 💰 $21–29 · includes a full week of access to all 7 Thanksgiving Point venues 📍 Ashton Gardens, Thanksgiving Point, Lehi (Over one million flowers — and Saturday is the last day. If you've been putting it off, this is your window.)

✨ Utah Dough Show — Donut Fest 🕐 Saturday, May 16 @ 10:30am–3pm 📍 Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi (It's a donut festival. Pair it with the Tulip Festival next door for a full Utah County afternoon — flowers, then donuts.)

✨ Pottery Night SLC — Single Session Wheel Throwing 🕐 Multiple sessions — check their calendar 📍 Downtown SLC (Make something on the wheel, glaze it, and pick it up a week later — one of those dates that leaves a physical artifact on your shelf. Beginner-friendly, single session.)

✨ Art Haus SLC — Date Night Classes 🕐 Various evenings — check calendar 📍 Art Haus, SLC (Pottery, painting, and drawing in a community-focused studio with date night sessions designed for couples. Messier than dinner, more memorable than a movie.)

✨ Salt Lake Culinary Center — Date Night 🕐 Friday–Saturday evenings 💰 ~$75–95/couple 📍 Salt Lake Culinary Center, SLC (You cook together, then eat what you made — check their calendar for this weekend's menu. Date night designed specifically for couples.)

✨ Harmons Cooking Classes 🕐 Various dates — check weekly calendar 📍 Multiple Harmons locations, SLC/Utah County (More casual than a culinary center but still hands-on — pasta, sushi, cocktail pairing, and more. A full evening at a reasonable price.)

✨ Golden Axe Throwing 🕐 Open nightly · walk-ins welcome 📍 Downtown SLC (Utah's only axe-throwing venue with a full licensed bar — eight lanes plus games in the basement. No reservation required.)

✨ Getout Games / Escapology Escape Rooms 🕐 Open evenings · reservation recommended 📍 Downtown SLC (Multiple escape room options downtown — good for a date where you want to be competitive together. Surprisingly revealing about how you function as a team.)

✨ Quarters Arcade Bar 🕐 Open nightly 📍 Quarters, SLC (Retro arcade + cocktails downtown — zero planning required. Perfect if the weekend plans fall apart and you need a backup by 8pm.)

🆓 Gilgal Sculpture Garden 🕐 Open daily, dawn to dusk 📍 749 E 500 S, SLC (A private garden tucked into a SLC neighborhood, full of massive sphinx figures and scripture-carved stones — strange and beautiful in equal measure. Spend 30 minutes here before dinner nearby.)

✨ Brewvies Cinema Pub 🕐 Check showtimes · $5 movies every Tuesday 📍 Brewvies, SLC (Food and drinks served in-theater every night — one of the more laid-back date nights in the city if you want a movie without the multiplex experience.)

🌲 Outdoor & Nature

🆓 Great Salt Lake Bird Festival — Family Day 🕐 Saturday, May 16 @ 9am–2pm 📍 Western Sports Park, Farmington (Davis County) (Free guided field trips with birding experts and "behind the gates" access to wildlife areas closed to the public. You don't need to be a birder — the Great Salt Lake in late May is stunning.)

🆓 Antelope Island State Park 🕐 Open daily 💰 $15/vehicle 📍 Antelope Island, Syracuse (Mid-May is prime time — bison roaming, wildflowers at peak, and the light on the Great Salt Lake at golden hour is something you have to see in person. Bring a blanket and stay for sunset.)

🆓 Living Room Trail — Sunset Hike 🕐 Best 90 min before sunset · ~2.7 miles round trip, moderate 📍 Trailhead near Natural History Museum, SLC (The rock formations at the top look like actual furniture. The valley view at sunset is stunning — one of the best short hikes accessible from the city.)

🆓 Donut Falls — Big Cottonwood Canyon 🕐 Open daily · ~3 miles round trip, easy-moderate 📍 Big Cottonwood Canyon (A waterfall that flows through a circular hole in the rock — worth it for the novelty alone. The canyon drive in is beautiful in late May.)

🆓 Red Butte Garden — Spring Stroll 🕐 Open daily, 9am–dusk 💰 $3–8 📍 Red Butte Garden, University of Utah, SLC (Concert season opens May 31, so right now the gardens are quiet, lush, and uncrowded. Peonies, irises, and late spring blooms — one of the best easy dates in the city right now.)

🆓 Millcreek Canyon 🕐 Open daily · free on weekends 📍 Millcreek Canyon, SLC (The Pipeline Trail is accessible for most fitness levels, with creek views and wildflowers the whole way. 20 minutes from downtown, feels like you're somewhere remote.)

🆓 City Creek Canyon 🕐 Open daily, pedestrians always welcome 📍 City Creek Canyon, SLC (A paved, peaceful trail up a surprisingly lush canyon — the most accessible canyon date in SLC. No drive required if you're downtown.)

🆓 Liberty Park — Rowboats & Paddle Boats 🕐 Open daily in season 💰 $8–12/30 min 📍 Liberty Park, SLC (Spring rowboats on the pond — classic, low-key, and surprisingly romantic for a city park. Tracy Aviary is on site if you want to make a full afternoon of it.)

🆓 Bonneville Shoreline Trail 🕐 Open daily · varies by access point 📍 Multiple trailheads along the Wasatch Front (Follows the ancient shoreline of Lake Bonneville with panoramic valley views the entire way. A classic SLC date that somehow still feels like a secret.)

🆓 Cecret Lake Trail — Little Cottonwood Canyon 🕐 Open in season · ~1.5 miles round trip, easy 📍 Albion Basin, Alta (Short trail to a stunning alpine lake with wildflowers in late May — all payoff, minimal effort. Check road conditions before you go; the upper canyon can still be snowy early in the month.)

💓 Strengthen Your Relationship

Are you a frog farmer?

Some people turn their romantic partner into a prince (or princess).Others turn their partner into a frog.

Which one are you?

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