🫶 The Best Date Ideas for July 3-5

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 tradition — from your family or just the two of us — that you'd want to keep going for the next 50 years?

• If we could plant our own flag and start a brand-new "country" of just us, what would be its one unbreakable law?

• What does "freedom" actually mean to you right now, at this point in your life — and has that changed since we met?

Want more questions like these? Get the Gottman Card Decks app. [Download it free here.]

🌸 Happening all spring…

Yoga classes, farmers markets, and other chill activities:

🆓 🌿 Bridging Betty — Concerts in the Park 🕐 Fri 7:30 PM | 💰 Free | 📍 Brigham Young Historic Park, SLC
The downtown summer concert series rolls on under the trees. Bring a blanket, grab takeout nearby, and let the live music do the rest.

🆓 🎵 Midvale Arts Council Summer Concert Series 🕐 Fri 7:00 PM | 💰 Free | 📍 Midvale
A laid-back, family-friendly outdoor concert that costs exactly nothing. Easy parking and an easy yes.

🎬 2026 Movie Nights at The Orchard 🕐 Fri 9:00 PM | 📍 The Orchard at University Place, Orem
Outdoor films all summer long. Show up early to claim a good grassy spot and split a bag of popcorn.

🆓 🎬 Free Music & Movie in the Park 🕐 Fri 8:00 PM | 💰 Free | 📍 Pleasant Green Park, Magna
Live tunes followed by a movie under the stars — pack camp chairs and a layer for when the desert cools off.

🆓 🎶 Midvale Arts Council Summer Concert Series 🕐 Fri 7:00 PM | 💰 Free | 📍 Midvale
Free live music under the summer sky — low-key, lawn-chair-friendly, and exactly the kind of unfussy evening that makes for an easy, breezy date.

🎢 West Jordan's Western Stampede Carnival 🕐 Fri 4:00 PM | 📍 Veterans Memorial Park, West Jordan
Funnel cakes, a Ferris wheel, and rodeo energy all weekend long. Splurge on the ride bracelet and act like teenagers for a night.

🎨 American Heritage Museum Exhibition 🕐 Fri 10:00 AM | 📍 SCERA Center for the Arts, Orem
A patriotic exhibition that's perfect for a low-effort, learn-something-together daytime outing in Orem.

🎵 Music

🎸 Josh Groban with special guest Jennifer Hudson 🕐 Fri 8:00 PM | 📍 Maverik Center, West Valley City
Two of the most ridiculous voices on the planet, one arena, your hand in theirs. If you want to feel things on Friday night, this is the ticket. Dress up a little — it's that kind of show.

🆓 🎻 Utah Symphony at Capitol Hill 🕐 Fri 8:30 PM | 💰 Free | 📍 Utah State Capitol Building, Salt Lake City
A free outdoor symphony concert on the Capitol lawn with the city glittering below you. Bring a blanket, arrive early for a good spot, and stay for the fireworks finale. Genuinely one of the best free dates of the year.

🎻 Utah Symphony in Midway 🕐 Sat 8:00 PM | 📍 Midway Town Hall, Midway
Make a whole day of it up in the Heber Valley — the symphony in a charming small-town setting is pure storybook. Cooler mountain air, too.

🆓 🎶 Broadway Fireworks – Concerts in the Park 🕐 Fri 7:30 PM | 💰 Free | 📍 Brigham Young Historic Park, Salt Lake City
Free Broadway favorites in a shady downtown park, capped with fireworks. Easy to pair with dinner nearby beforehand.

🆓 🎻 Bountiful Philharmonia: 250 America Celebration 🕐 Sat 7:00 PM | 💰 Free | 📍 Bountiful City Park, Bountiful
A free patriotic orchestra concert in the park — bring camp chairs and settle in before Bountiful's big Fourth festivities kick off.

🎸 2026 Stadium of Fire with Brad Paisley 🕐 Sat 8:00 PM | 📍 LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo
The granddaddy of Utah Fourth celebrations: country superstar, stadium-sized fireworks, the works. Big, loud, unapologetically over-the-top — and a blast with the right person.

✨ America's 250th: Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir w/ Alex Boyé & Lex de Azevedo 🕐 Fri 7:30 PM | 📍 Covey Center for the Arts, Provo
Joyful, goosebump-inducing gospel and a celebratory crowd. The kind of show you'll be talking about on the drive home.

🎸 WILLÖH 🕐 Fri 7:00 PM | 📍 Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City
Skip the fireworks crowds and go dark, sweaty, and intimate at Urban Lounge. Perfect for couples who'd rather sip a drink and discover a band together.

🎸 Mother Of None 🕐 Fri 6:00 PM | 📍 Kilby Court, Salt Lake City
Kilby Court's gravel-lot charm makes every show feel like a secret. An early set means you can catch a band and still make fireworks if you hustle.

🎭 Shows & Performances

🎭 2026 Cries of Freedom the Musical 🕐 Fri 1:00 PM | 📍 SCERA Center for the Arts, Orem
A patriotic stage production with all the spectacle of the season. A nice indoor matinee option if the July heat has you waving the white flag.

🤠 West Jordan's Western Stampede Rodeo 🕐 Fri 6:00 PM | 📍 West Jordan Arena, West Jordan
Boots, bulls, and big crowd energy. Rodeos are a sneakily great date — there's always something to gasp at, and the between-events lulls are perfect for talking.

🤠 Oakley's 2026 PRCA Rodeo 🕐 Fri 7:30 PM | 📍 Oakley City Rodeo Arena, Oakley
One of Utah's most beloved small-town rodeos, set against a gorgeous mountain backdrop. Worth the drive for the full Americana experience.

🤠 Tooele Bit n' Spur Rodeo 🕐 Fri 6:00 PM | 📍 The Peak Sports & Entertainment Complex, Tooele
Classic rodeo fun out in Tooele — grab a corn dog, cheer for the cowboys, and lean into the dusty charm of it all.

🏀 Monster Jam World Finals 2026 🕐 Fri 6:30 PM | 📍 Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City
Hear me out: giant trucks crushing things is gloriously silly, deafeningly fun, and an absolutely top-tier "let's do something different" date. Bring earplugs and a sense of humor.

💃 Beginner West Coast Swing + Social Dancing 🕐 Fri 8:00 PM | 📍 DF Dance Studio, South Salt Lake
No partner-up panic, no experience needed — just a lesson followed by a social dance. Nothing breaks the ice like fumbling through a spin together and laughing about it.

✨ Experiences

🆓 🎬 Jaws 🕐 Fri 8:00 PM | 💰 Free | 📍 Utah Film Center, Salt Lake City
A summer classic on the big screen — the perfect excuse to grab your sweetheart a little closer during the scary bits. (You're gonna need a bigger date budget? Nope, this one's free.)

🆓 🎬 Movie in the Park 🕐 Fri 8:00 PM | 💰 Free | 📍 Veteran's Memorial Park, West Jordan
Blanket, snacks, dusk, a movie under the stars. The classic budget date never misses — just bring bug spray and a cozy layer.

✨ Independence Eve: Big Air Show 2026 🕐 Fri 6:00 PM | 📍 Millcreek Common, Millcreek
A high-flying spectacle at the heart of Millcreek's celebration. Great energy, great people-watching, and an easy walk-around date.

✨ Independence Day Drone Show 2026 🕐 Fri 8:00 PM | 📍 Jordan Park, Salt Lake City
Fireworks are great, but a synchronized drone show spelling out shapes against the night sky? That's the new, weirdly romantic thing to ooh and ahh over together.

🎠 Liberty Day at This Is The Place 2026 🕐 Sat 10:00 AM | 📍 This Is The Place Heritage Park, Salt Lake City
Step back in time at the pioneer village with a full day of period activities. Lighthearted, walkable, and full of "look at this!" moments.

🎠 Colonial Heritage Festival 🕐 Fri 9:00 AM | 📍 SCERA Park, Orem
Reenactments, colonial crafts, and Revolutionary-era flavor — fitting for America's 250th, and a fun, low-pressure daytime stroll.

🚂 2026 Freedom Train – America 250! 🕐 Sat 9:00 AM | 📍 Heber Valley Railroad, Heber City
A scenic vintage train ride through the Heber Valley. Few things are more romantic than rolling past mountain meadows with someone you love — bonus points for the patriotic theme.

🍷 4th of July BBQ at Sundance 🕐 Sat 11:00 AM | 📍 Sundance Resort, Provo
Mountain air, smoky BBQ, and Robert Redford's old stomping grounds. Splurge a little and make a whole canyon day of it.

🎠 Thanksgiving Point Freedom Celebration 2026 🕐 Sat 4:00 PM | 📍 Thanksgiving Point, Lehi
Gardens, food, live entertainment, and a fireworks finale all in one tidy package. A reliably lovely, do-it-all Fourth.

🎠 4th of July Celebration at The Gateway 🕐 Sat 6:00 PM | 📍 The Gateway, Salt Lake City
Downtown's open-air shopping district turns into a party — easy parking nearby, plenty of food, and an after-party at Flanker if you're feeling festive.

🎨 2026 Murray Fun Days – Plein Air Painting Contest 🕐 Sat 6:30 AM | 📍 Murray City Park, Murray
Even if you're just spectating, watching artists capture the morning light is a peaceful, romantic way to start the Fourth. Grab coffee and wander.

🎨 2026 Murray Fun Days – Chalk Art Competition 🕐 Sat 6:00 AM | 📍 Murray City Park, Murray
Color-soaked sidewalks and serious talent on display. A sweet, slow stroll-and-admire kind of date as Murray's celebration warms up.

🌲 Outdoor & Nature

🆓 🎈 2026 Freedom Festival Balloon Fest 🕐 Fri 6:00 AM | 💰 Free | 📍 Provo
Set your alarm — there's nothing quite like watching dozens of hot air balloons rise into a pink dawn sky. Pack coffee, find a grassy spot, and make it a sunrise date.

🌿 North Salt Lake's Fireworks & Festivities 2026 🕐 Fri 4:00 PM | 📍 Eaglewood Golf Course, North Salt Lake
Hilltop views make for some of the best fireworks-watching in the valley. Get there early to claim a good vantage point.

🌿 Star-Spangled Splash 🕐 Fri 6:00 PM | 📍 Layton Commons Park, Layton
A festive evening in the park to kick off the holiday weekend — relaxed, family-friendly, and easy to pair with a picnic dinner.

🌿 Heber Valley's Red, White, and Blue Festival 🕐 Fri 4:00 PM | 📍 Main Street Park, Heber City
Small-town festival charm in a gorgeous mountain valley. Worth the scenic drive, and noticeably cooler than the valley floor.

🌿 Fourth of July Celebration at Brighton 🕐 Sat 8:00 AM | 📍 Brighton Ski Resort, Brighton
Trade the heat for alpine air — a mountaintop Fourth at Brighton is crisp, gorgeous, and refreshingly uncrowded. Pack a fleece and your hiking shoes.

🌿 Park City's 4th of July Parade and Celebration 2026 🕐 Sat 11:00 AM | 📍 Historic Main Street, Park City
One of the most charming parades around, on one of the prettiest streets in the state. Grab a sidewalk spot, then linger over lunch on Main.

🌿 Murray Fun Days 2026 🕐 Sat 7:00 AM | 📍 Murray City Park, Murray
A full day of classic small-town Americana — vendors, music, art contests, and fireworks to close it out. Centrally located and very date-friendly.

💓 Strengthen Your Relationship

How to heal and process after a fight, featuring John and Julie Gottman — the godparents of modern marriage research.

Submit a Date Night Recommendation 💌

Want to submit an upcoming event or activity to be included in a future newsletter?

Meme of the Week 🤪

Oof! Yowza…