Pick Of The Week : That Famous Preston Night Rodeo, July 26-28, 2012 - Preston, Idaho

Did anyone make it out to the Gallery Walk, last week's POTW? (Pick of the Week, in case my acronym threw you.) I would have loved to go, but my children came down with the plague...er, Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (not as horrifying as it sounds, but still no fun). It's been making its way through the under-10 set in our neighborhood and family at a rapid pace this summer. We had to quarantine ourselves, and we missed not only the Gallery Walk, but a company party at the Bees baseball game/firework show in Salt Lake City. Boo for viruses!

Hopefully it will be all cleared up in time for this week's POTW, "That Famous Preston Night Rodeo" in Preston, ID, which runs this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday July 26-28, 2012.

Morgan Heaton on Wendy's Rocket in 2011. Quoted in article here.

Though not in Utah, Preston is definitely still in Cache Valley. They have one of the best little small-town rodeos around, and it's surely worth a visit if you haven't been. My brother-in-law Morgan (sometimes "Moe") Heaton will be riding on Saturday night if you want to know who to cheer for. He's been a bareback rider for going on eight years now. That's him pictured above. You can also see an awesome photo of him and his little son getting ready in the bucking chutes here (lots of amazing rodeo photography at that site, www.mattcohenphoto.com).

Have you ever been to a rodeo and felt clueless about the events and how they are scored? A little knowledge can make the rodeo a lot more fun for spectators. Check out the Preston rodeo's website for helpful explanations of the events and scoring. The website also explains something I've always been curious about: why this rodeo is called the "Famous Preston Night Rodeo". After all, every rodeo I've ever been to has been at night. I guess that wasn't always the case. Preston rodeo says they are recognized as the first night rodeo in the world, and they became famous for it. I guess with a start time of 8:30pm it is one of the latest/darkest rodeos I've ever been to. That adds to the fun, I think. There are lots of pre-events like a parade and carnival and even helicopter rides that caught my eye ($25 per person). Check this page for the full schedule.


What: That Famous Preston Night Rodeo
When: July 26-28, 2012 - Rodeo pre-events at 8:15pm, rodeo starts at 8:30pm. Associated events all day.
Where: Preston Rodeo Grounds, 198 W 2nd N Street, Preston, Idaho
Rodeo Ticket Prices: Thursday $9 and $8,  Friday $12 and $11,  Saturday $12 and $11
www.prestonrodeo.com for more information and online ticket purchase

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As for me, I'll be missing Morgan's ride on Saturday because my husband and I have tickets to a concert in Salt Lake. Okay, I'm just going to go ahead and say it. We're going to the Neil Diamond concert. We've actually never been to a big concert together, and this, THIS, is the first one??!? Well, I figured we may not have many chances left to see old Neil, and I hear he's a great performer. Anyone ever been? We'll have to hit the Preston rodeo on Friday night.

Pioneer Day Celebrations in Logan and Cache Valley - 24th of July, 2012

I'll be back tomorrow with the regularly scheduled Pick of the Week, but I wanted to pop in and mention the Pioneer Day (24th of July) celebrations happening on Tuesday this week.

Do Other States Have State Holidays?

For those who don't know, Pioneer Day (aka the 24th of July) is Utah's state holiday. The day commemorates the arrival in the Salt Lake Valley of the first party of Mormon Pioneers (LDS - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I've always been curious about whether other states have state holidays, and it's been my impression that most don't. My curiosity led me to this list of state holidays. It seems that Utah is, indeed, one of a few states to have a true state holiday. Pioneer Day follows so closely on the heels of Independence Day that for Utahns July is a huge party and firework month, full of state and national pride!

Local Celebrations

Logan and North Logan both have Pioneer Day celebrations/parades/firework shows. Info here for Logan (warning, PDF may be slow to load), and here for North Logan. For those who want firework info without clicking, the Logan fireworks are at Willow Park and the North Logan fireworks are at Elk Ridge Park.

Have a safe and happy holiday week!

My Fair Lady At Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre - Logan, Utah

Sorry for being MIA yesterday. Sick children and dear out-of-town house guests kept me away from the computer. Before this gets too out of date I want to review Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre's production of My Fair Lady, which I saw on Saturday, July 19, 2012 at the Ellen Eccles Theatre on Main Street in Logan.

Vanessa Ballam as Eliza Doolittle, photo from UFOMT website

For those who don't know, UFOMT is a yearly festival of operas, concerts, and musicals founded 20 years ago by opera star and local Loganite Michael Ballam. (Read more about Ballam's background in this interesting Deseret News article, "Michael Ballam: Utah tenor's career comes full circle".)

Each year my grandparents drive all the way up to Cache Valley from the far southeast corner of the state to see the UFOMT operas and shows. They aren't the only ones. Most of the festival's 20,000+ attendees come from all over the state and country. This year's productions are the operas Faust and Tosca and the classic musicals  My Fair Lady and Kiss Me Kate. For more information on the shows, visit this blog post about Logan on Salt Lake City View.

The season is designed so patrons can see all four shows on one weekend, in a combination of matinees and evening performances. My dear grandparents purchase extra tickets each year so they can treat their children and grandchildren to the shows. How sweet of them!

I have been lucky enough to see several lovely UFOMT operas over the years. This was my first time seeing a musical, though. I was not disappointed! From the actors to the sets to the orchestra to the beautiful theater itself, nearly every detail was perfect. We are indeed lucky to have this caliber of performance available to us in our own little city. In my experience the UFOMT shows far surpass the quality of the national touring productions I have seen in Salt Lake City.


My Fair Lady Review


In Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre's production of Lerner and Loewe's classic musical My Fair Lady, Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle (the lovely Vanessa Ballam) transforms into a sophisticated lady of society under the tutelage of dialect coach Professor Henry Higgins, ably played by Kyle Pfortmiller. The sets, costumes, staging, singing, and acting are all top-notch in UFOMT's rendition of the show. If one "fault" could be found with the production, it's that Vanessa Ballam's beautiful, classically-trained voice shines too brightly through the harsh, flat tones of Eliza's native dialect. Vanessa's acting, though, perfectly suited the role. It's in her blood, of course. Her father (and UFOMT founder) Michael Ballam, disguised under a bulbous nose and layers of makeup, stole the show in his comic turn as Eliza's father Alfred Doolittle.


Another stand-out was the quartet of men who sing with Eliza on "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?". I particularly noticed the sweetly soaring voice of the tenor. The whole chorus, in fact, was excellent as an ensemble and in their individually highlighted parts. A strong ensemble is a hallmark of UFOMT's shows. The performers come from all over the country, and are auditioned and hand-picked by Michael Ballam.


Costumes and sets were attractive and well-designed. I did wonder why we didn't see the black-and-white dress pictured above during the show. (It's a distinctive costume from the "Ascot Opening Day" scene.) Instead Eliza wore a pastel confection and carried a ruffly parasol that gave her a lot of trouble, to hilarious effect. The whole scene is traditionally one of the showpieces of My Fair Lady, musically and comically, and it lived up to expectations.


Funny and heart-wrenching by turns, and filled with catchy tunes, My Fair Lady is a good introduction to musical theater. Whether you're a longtime musical fan or not, I encourage you to see this performance. The remaining show dates are July 20, 25, 28 (matinee), August 3 (matinee), 9 (matinee), and 11. Single ticket prices range from $12 to $76, with half price tickets available for students and children. Or take advantage of UFOMT's season design, which allows one to attend all four shows in one weekend. Visit www.ufoc.org for details.

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Special mention should be made of UFOMT's venue, the beautiful Ellen Eccles Theatre. Read about the theater's history here. The neoclassical interior rivals theaters I've visited in San Francisco and New York City.

Interior of the Ellen Eccles Theatre, photo from UFOMT website

Detail of balconies and phoenix mural. Photo credit: Wally Bloss, Executive Director of the Cache Valley Center for the Arts

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Have you been/are you going to any shows this year at UFOMT or at the Old Lyric? What's your favorite musical?

So Messy, Yet So Good: Philly Cheese Steak by Street Eats Food Truck

As I mentioned yesterday, I stopped by Street Eats for lunch on Monday when the Culinary Concepts food truck was parked at CenturyLink in North Logan. I ordered the Spicy Vietnamese Pork Wrap ($5), which is quickly becoming one of my food vices, two sides of Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese ($2 each - for my kids), and the Philly Cheese Steak special ($7 - ostensibly for my husband, but he works night shift and would be asleep for several more hours - so who was it really for?).

The picture I took of the cheese steak looks pretty disgusting - which means Street Eats is TOTALLY doing it right (and I say this as someone who spent the past couple of years living in Philadelphia and experiencing the real deal). Gently charred strips of tenderloin mixed with grilled onions and peppers overflowing from a soft Italian roll, all topped with ooey, gooey cheese. Oops, I mean Cheez. Personally, when I make a cheese steak at home I like to use melted provolone or mozzarella cheese, but if you want a traditional, true Philly style cheese steak you gotta use the whiz. The Cheez Whiz, that is. Hey, don't mess with tradition!

I stole several bites of my husband's sandwich before lamenting about how it would suffer under refrigeration and wrapping it up for him to eat later. My one suggestion for a better sandwich would be a few more peppers, but overall it was an excellent rendition.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I photographed this on the asphalt parking lot. What, you think I was going to wait till I got home to dig into it? I had to photograph it fast before it was gone!

The macaroni and cheese wasn't really a hit with my kids, perhaps because the pepper jack cheese gave it a slight spicy kick they didn't enjoy. I've never met a pasta that I didn't like, so it was fine by me (yes, I ate their dishes of macaroni and cheese for dinner that night). It's worth noting that the pepper jack used is of the processed-cheese variety (most pepper jack is of that variety), so if you don't like the taste of processed cheese it might not be for you. If, on the other hand, you're like me -- denied Kraft singles and any other processed cheese as a kid, and therefore developing a taste for it as a "special treat" -- you'll like it just fine. It's definitely comfort food.

Lucky for my waistline and my pocket book, Street Eats usually parks at the south end of town in the ThermoFisher parking lot on Hyclone Drive. You can follow their Facebook page for updates on their specials and locations.

I saw several people order the BBQ sandwich. Anyone tried it? What did you think?

Local Blogs - Know Any?

I've started working on a list of local blogs. Check it out on the Local Blogs page and also at the bottom of the right sidebar. This will be a work in progress. Go visit the ones that are listed so far, and be sure to suggest more!

Ding! Ding! Ding! FREE Cathy Ferrand Bullock Handbell Performance & Lecture, July, 18, 2012 - Logan, UT

Cathy Ferrand Bullock, USU professor and director of the Westminster Bell Choir, will deliver a free educational lecture and handbell performance at the historic Cache County Courthouse on Wednesday, July 18 at 7pm as part of the Cache Valley Visitors Bureau's summer speaker series.

Cathy Ferrand Bullock (front row, far left) with the Westminster Bell Choir -  Logan, Utah - from here

Dr. Bullock was one of my communications professors at Utah State. I can vouch that she is an energetic and engaging speaker. Her talk is entitled "Ring Those Bells! The Magic of English Handbells". She will discuss the history of handbells and demonstrate the variety of techniques players use to achieve different sounds with the bells. Solo and quartet performances will be part of the lecture, which will last one hour. Sounds lovely and fascinating!


What: Lecture and Handbell Performance by Cathy Ferrand Bullock, part of the Cache valley Visitors Bureau Summer Speaker Series
When: Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 7-8pm
Where: Historic Cache County Courthouse, 199 N. Main Street, Logan, Utah (photo)
Cost: Free
FYI: Seating is limited, so arrive early. For more information, call 435-755-1890

The Westminster Bell Choir is an interfaith group sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church of Logan. Here is a 40-second YouTube video featuring the Westminster Bell Choir performing Christmas carol "Il Est Ne, Le Divin Enfant". Dr. Bullock is featured as the director. The choir's annual Christmas concert at the Logan Tabernacle is a popular event.

Vietnamese Salad @ Da Nang Bistro - Logan, Utah

I grabbed some good eats on Saturday at the Cache Valley Gardeners' Market when I finally got to try the Vietnamese cuisine from Da Nang Bistro. My salad featured a savory and fresh mix of chicken, cabbage, cilantro, nuts, chili peppers, carrots, green apples, and a very light dressing(?), and was accompanied by delicately-flavored rice cakes. I also sampled the Da Chanh, Da Nang Bistro's riff on the ice cream sandwich. So good! I will definitely be back for a full-size next week. Da Nang Bistro will only be at the market for two more weeks (July 21 & 28), so get over to the market and grab some Vietnamese food before your chance is gone! Visit the Da Nang Bistro Facebook page for info and updates.

I've kind of been on a Vietnamese kick, because yesterday at lunch I took advantage of Street Eats' close proximity to my house (the food truck was in the CenturyLink parking lot), and ordered the Spicy Vietnamese Pork Wrap once again. I also tested the authenticity of the Philly Cheese Steak, the specialty of the city I just moved here from. Tune in tomorrow to see how this Utah cheese steak compared to the real deal in Philadelphia. See you then!