August 9th & 10th 2024, 5-10pm
Come celebrate the County’s vibrant Westside with Salt Lake County’s FREE arts and community festival at Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center!
Westside CultureFest: A Block Party Celebration of Art and Community Diversity presented by Salt Lake County Arts & Culture and Utah Arts Alliance
LOCATION: Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, 2525 Taylorsville Blvd, Taylorsville
Festival Map:
Westside CultureFest 2024 is a two-day block party celebration of arts and community diversity at Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, featuring over 25+ performances on-stage and outdoors at Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, an artist market featuring local artists and craftspeople, food trucks, a bar area for adults, art activities for kids, and incredible experiences for all ages.
Applications for performing artists and arts & craft vendors are NOW CLOSED for this year’s festival.
August 9th & 10th 2024, 5-10pm
Stella Standingbear (@stellastandingbear) is our musical headliner for the 2024 Westside CultureFest! She’ll perform on Friday, August 9 at 9 pm at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center in the Main Stage Theatre.
Winner of Best Female Hip-Hop Artists and Music Video of the Year at the 2023 Indigenous Hip-Hop Awards, Stella Standginbear is a Salt Lake County Westside native and currently resides on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Stella’s unique blend of melodic alt-rap has captured the hearts of listeners worldwide. Her debut single, “Home Runs,” showcased on Fox13 News Utah, became a TikTok sensation, and reached #1 on the NCI FM Indigenous Music Countdown (hosted by SiriusXM). Her talent has not gone unnoticed, as Stella has shared the stage with respected artists like Kirko Bangz, Montana of 300, Futuristic, KYLE, and Bizzy Bone. With co-signs from Queen Latifah, Waka Flocka Flame, Paul Wall, and more. Stella’s reach on social media platforms is impressive, with her remix song “SKODEN” going viral on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The recognition doesn’t stop there; she has also been featured in Teen Vogue, solidifying her presence in mainstream media.
*This performance uses fog effects
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The Utah Lowriders are coming to the Westside CultureFest!
On Saturday, August 10, we’ll have a Lowrider Custom Car Exhibit with a Hop Off at 8pm in the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center parking lot! Come witness hoppers in action and take a look under and over the hood of these custom lowriders, hoppers, and bikes.
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FULL WESTSIDE CULTUREFEST SCHEDULE
Friday, August 9
Cirque du Salt Lake – 5-10pm in the Lobby
Bad Dog Arts: Creative Art Projects for All Ages – 5-8:30pm in the Centennial Room
Artist Market – 5-10pm inside and outside
Buskers – 5-10pm outside
Main Stage Theatre
5:15-6pm – Karlysue & Trio Los Charros (traditional Mariachi)
6:30-7:15pm – Tablado Flamenco Dance Company (Flamenco dance and music)
8:15-8:45pm – Zac Ivie (Hip-hop music performance)
9-9:45pm – Festival musical headliner Stella Standingbear (Hip-hop music performance)
*This performance uses fog effects
Studio 5400
5:30-6:15pm – Interdisciplinary Arts Collective (Innovative dance and music explore dreaming and the supernatural)
6:45-7:30pm – Pam GallegOz / Casa Ivium (Eclectic, theatrical, one-woman performance)
8-8:45pm – Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative with Columbia Jones (Contemporary ballet to music of Columbia Jones)
North Studio
5:15-6pm – Bomba Marile (Come learn Puerto Rican Bomba)
6:30-7:15pm – Kenshin Taiko (Learn how to Japanese taiko drum)
Outdoor Stage
6-6:30pm – Lady Ferronescotia (Energetic Latin pop and contemporary music on the violin)
7-7:30pm – TikiMane (Energetic Latin pop and contemporary music on the violin)
Saturday, August 10
Utah Lowriders Exhibition – 5-10 pm in the parking lot
Utah Lowriders Hop Off – 8 pm in the parking lot
Cirque du Salt Lake – 5-10pm in the Lobby
Bad Dog Arts: Creative Art Projects for All Ages – 5-8:30pm in the Centennial Room
Artist Market – 5-10pm inside and outside
Buskers – 5-10pm outside
Main Stage Theatre
5:15-6:15pm – WestSide Dance Company (Mexican folk dance)
7-8pm – Ballet Folclórico Linaje Latino (Colorful, energetic traditional dances from Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru)
8:45-9:45pm – Oaxaca en Utah (Mexican dance and cultural expressions)
Studio 5400
5:30-6pm – The Type Writing Poeta (Spoken poetry in Spanish, Nahautl, and English)
6:15-6:45pm – Gloria Arredondo (A poet of truth, femininity, and community)
7:15-8pm – Afro-Peruvian Dance Project (Afro Peruvian Music and Dance)
8:45-9:45pm – Myriad Dance (Contemporary dance performance)
North Studio
5:15-6:15pm – Halau Ku Pono I Kamalani (Come learn traditional Hawaiian kahiko dance, modern or auana, Maori, and Tahitian)
6:45-7:45pm – Anna Utah Bellydance (Learn Tango oriental fusion Bellydance)
Outdoor Stage
5-5:30pm – Raj & Will (Instrumental guitar, tabla, and cajon music)
6-6:30pm – Murphy & The Giant (Punk rock Irish music blend)
7-7:30pm – Delphic Quorum (Alternative rock band)
9:30-10pm – Tycoon Machete (Hillbilly grunge psychedelic rock band)
Check out the amazing performers we have coming to the 2024 Westside CultureFest!
Performers are listed in alphabetical order.
Afro Peruvian Project with Raices D’ Sudamerica
Performance information: Saturday, August 10, 7:15-8pm, Studio 5400
Our main focus is to Promote Afro- Peruvian and South American folklore, have kids and adults connect with their Latin roots through dance. Make visible the cultural diversity we have in South America and understanding that at the end we are all connected as One!
Anna
Performance information: Saturday, August 10, 6:45-7:45pm, North Studio
Anna is a bellydancer based in Manti, Utah. She started her bellydance journey in Ukraine and has continued here since 2022. She actively participates in the Bellydance competitions. Anna specializes in Egyptian, modern, and fusion dance styles. She keeps learning this magnificent art of bellydance by attending workshops and classes.
Bomba Marilé
Performance information: Friday, August 9, 5:15-6:15pm, North Studio
Mission: Bomba Marilé strives to share Afro-Puerto Rican traditions of Bomba music, dance, and ancestral stories through educational and interactive events that foster healing, connectedness, and community.
Values: * Learning and Sharing * Growing Community * Uplifting P.O.C. Voices
Bomba Marilé is P.O.C. led 501c3 Non Profit Organization in the state of Utah that was established November 2017 and became a non profit in 2022. Since our initiation, we have organized Bomba workshops with visiting instructors, social events including dominos and picnics, and educational activities including showing documentaries discussing issues related to Puerto Rico. Bomba Marilé has had the opportunity to perform at various cultural events throughout Utah including Living Traditions Festival, West Side Dance Cinco de Mayo Festival, Mondays at the Park, and Utah County Fair. We are grateful for the opportunity to highlight our musical traditions from Puerto Rico and to share them with those who support the cultural arts.
The Delphic Quorum
Performance information: Saturday, August 10, 7-7:30pm, Outdoor Stage
The Delphic Quorum have been performing around UT since 2009. Never taking a break even dispite several members leaving the band or passing away. They currently perform as Adam Bean on trombone/didjeridoo, Matt Gholdston – percussion, and frontman Glen Goss on bass, banjo, autoharp, and vocals.
Interdisciplinary Arts Collective
Performance information: Friday, August 9, 5:30-6:15pm, Studio 5400
Interdisciplinary Arts Collective is a local performing arts group made up of musicians, dancers, poets, actors, artists, and anti-artists operating in the experimental and avant-garde realms. Our practice ranges from the performance of contemporary repertoire to the creation of new works and the staging of performance art and sonic experiments. interdisciplinaryartscollective.com
Karlysue y Los Charros
Performance information: Friday, August 9, 5:15-6pm, Main Stage Theatre
Karlysue y Los Charros is a musical group rooted in mariachi heritage. They continue those musical traditions while incorporating other styles from Latin America. They have been playing together for almost 10 years at various Latin American festivals, weddings, birthdays, and other cultural celebrations in Utah. The music they bring touches the soul and connects you to the rich heritage of Latin American and Mexican celebration.
Lady Ferronescotia
Performance information: Friday, August 9, 6-6:30pm, Outdoor Stage
Lady Ferronescotia, or Michele Medina-Ferrone, is a multi-disciplinary violinist from West Valley who started playing in grade school. She has played in local orchestras, chamber music ensembles, and has integrated other arts in projects. In addition to being classically trained, Michele has recently started to explore world folk music and develop her own style of composition through improvisation. In 2024, Michele commissioned Ellinor Petersen to compose a solo unaccompanied violin piece. Michele has been a music, general education, and Spanish teacher.
Murphy and the giant
Performance information: Saturday, August 10, 6-6:30pm, Outdoor Stage
Hailing from the back streets of Salt Lake City, Utah, Murphy and the giant is a wild bunch of misfits who blend the chaos of punk rock with the unruly spirit of Irish music
Myriad Dance
Performance information: Saturday, August 10, 8:45-9:45pm, Studio 5400
Exploring movement that draws from a variety of dance styles, Myriad is a project-based company, creating expressive artistic works. We seek to provide opportunities for artists of multiple mediums to create and to share their work, and to provide opportunities for members of our broader community in the Salt Lake City area to experience enjoyable and thought-provoking art.
Pam GallegOz – Casa Ivium
Performance information: Friday, August 9, 6:45-7:30pm, Studio 5400
Pam Galleg Oz is an actress, producer, playwright, cultural manager and independent director. Throughout her 20-year career as an arts professional, she has participated in 100s of performances around the world. Her work breaks borders, having been presented in more than 15 states of the Mexican Republic, as well as in Argentina, Chile, Italy, and the USA, where her work has been recognized. She is the founder and cultural director of CASA IVIUM cultural space in La Paz BCS, which is dedicated to the dissemination of art, personal development and healthy living.
Raj & Will
Performance information: Saturday, August 10, 5-5:30pm, Outdoor Stage
Raj & Will are an instrumental duo from Salt Lake City. Raj plays tabla and cajon. Will plays a flamenco guitar. They love to write and perform music when they’re not biking, camping, climbing, dancing, hiking, running or skiing.
Salt Lake Ballet Coop & Columbia Jones
Performance information: Friday, August 9, 8-8:45pm, Studio 5400
The mission of Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative is to highlight and strengthen Utah’s ever growing community of ballet artists by creating and performing original and traditional works, as interpreted by the artistic vision of our cooperative.
Our Vision is to make ballet accessible, both in the classroom and on stage, through formally changing conventional/institutional practices and by creating inviting, equitable, and affordable opportunities to our fellow Utahns.
Columbia Jones’ songs are earnest reflections of the everyday American experience paired with a sound that blends the best elements of Americana, Folk, Country, and Rock. His versatility as a musician is evident in the wide range of instruments and musical styles covered in his studio recordings, as well as onstage his on-stage performance, where gentle acoustic ballads can easily shift to a lively on-stage folk frenzy. Spectators of the One Man Band can expect to see him perform on guitar while kicking a bass drum, foot tambourine, and some live looping.
Stella Standingbear
Performance information: Friday, August 9, 9pm, Main Stage Theatre
Winner of Best Female Hip-Hop Artists and Music Video of the Year at the 2023 Indigenous Hip-Hop Awards, Stella Standginbear is a Salt Lake County Westside native and currently resides on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Stella’s unique blend of melodic alt-rap has captured the hearts of listeners worldwide. Her debut single, “Home Runs,” showcased on Fox13 News Utah, became a TikTok sensation, and reached #1 on the NCI FM Indigenous Music Countdown (hosted by SiriusXM). Her talent has not gone unnoticed, as Stella has shared the stage with respected artists like Kirko Bangz, Montana of 300, Futuristic, KYLE, and Bizzy Bone. With co-signs from Queen Latifah, Waka Flocka Flame, Paul Wall, and more. Stella’s reach on social media platforms is impressive, with her remix song “SKODEN” going viral on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The recognition doesn’t stop there; she has also been featured in Teen Vogue, solidifying her presence in mainstream media.
TikiMane
Performance information: Friday, August 9, 7-7:30pm, Outdoor Stage
Richard AKA TikiMane born and raised in utah, has been making Hip Hop music for over 15 yrs, loves to bring positivity to his music, the most enjoyment he gets out of his music is performing in front of people!
Tycoon Machete
Performance information: Saturday, August 10, 9:30-10pm, Outdoor Stage
Tycoon Machete is a psychedelic hillbilly grunge band out of Salt Lake City. It’s an exotic collection involving slide banjo, custom made “banjzouki”, synthesizers, 1942 National lap steel, metal drums, theremin, and psychedelic horror movie visuals.
The Typewriting Poeta – Laura Ruiz
Performance information: Saturday, August 10, 5:30-6pm, Studio 5400
Laura Ruiz is a multilingual poet and writer born in Mexico. Her poetry includes Spanish, English and Nahuatl. She hopes her work can bring awareness to her community and indigenous communities. Her free time is spent with her children, her partner and in the mountains.
WestSide Dance
Performance information: Saturday, August 10, 5:15-6:15pm, Main Stage Theatre
WestSide Dance was founded in 1997 in Salt Lake City. Utah’s first all exclusive youth Ballet Folklorico Mexicano specializing in Mexican Folk Dance. Since then the group has shared our vibrant folk culture through dance.
Zac Ivie
Performance information: Friday, August 9, 8:15-8:45pm, Main Stage Theatre
American rapper Zac Ivie,(Salt Lake City) is a compelling performer whose music connects with listeners on a deep level. This is why he stands out in the business.
Zac’s music, which combines soulful beats with insightful lyrics, is like a breath of fresh air in the hip-hop community. Zac’s music is stimulating for using a raw and real style of storytelling. His lyrics are exciting and emotionally charged, whether he is exploring personal experiences or throwing light on social issues.
Westside CultureFest
FESTIVAL MAP
PARKING: Parking is available on site at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center on the north side of the building