The Christian Center of Park City’s annual Hike for Hunger will return to familiar ground this year.

The event, which raises awareness and funds to fight food insecurity in Summit and Wasatch counties, will be held Sept. 14 at Canyons Village, said Executive Director Rob Harter.

“We were at Canyons two years ago, and we’re glad to be going back,” he said. “We’re so thankful to Vail Resorts for allowing us to do it there.”

Similar to past Hikes for Hunger, this year’s event will feature an afternoon filled with hikes, live music, food and games, according to Harter.

“We will provide two hikes — a hard one and a moderate one — and there will be a third option where people can ride Red Pine gondola up to the top to Red Pine Lodge and then enjoy a ride back down,” he said.

The hard hike is the Mid Mountain North trail, a five-mile loop, and the moderate hike is the two-mile Alpine Lake Loop, Harter said.

“What we always try to do is provide something for everybody because we want a whole range of folks to come and enjoy the event,” he said. “So, we provide a hike that is challenging for those who like to hike, and then we provide a hike that is nice but doesn’t take a lot of time and is good for kids.”

The gondola ride up and down the mountain is also for anyone but specifically for families with younger kids and older grandparents, Harter said.

“We know there are people who just want to spend time with their grandkids without having to take long hikes,” he said.

Much of the fun will actually take place at Canyons Village, Harter said.

“We’ll have food trucks and games and live music performed by The Proper Way,” he said. “They were programmed through Mountain Town Music.”

Community partners such as Lucky Ones Coffee will provide some of the snacks and drinks, according to Harter.

“We’ll have other organizations set up booths so they can provide information about the services they offer regarding food insecurity,” he said.

Food insecurity is real in Summit and Wasatch counties, Harter said.

“Even though we’ve been doing this event for almost 14 years, there is still this idea that food insecurity isn’t an issue in Park City,” he said. “But last year we saw a 20% increase in our food pantry use.”

The Christian Center’s food pantry in Park City served just under 35,000 individuals, while the Heber City pantry served more than 19,000 individuals, Harter said. 

“This year we’ve already seen an additional 20% increase from where we were last year in August, and the international students and seasonal workers haven’t even arrived yet,” he said. “So that tells us that when they do arrive, we’ll see a higher percentage of increase.”

The Christian Center of Park City’s mobile food pantries have been busy as well, according to Harter.

“There are people who, for whatever reason, can’t make it to our Park City or Heber City food pantries, so we take the pantry to them,” he said. “We have been offering mobile food pantries on-and-off for a while, but after COVID-19, we made them part of our plan.”

Supporting the food pantries is another Hike for Hunger motive, and Harter says the price of registration has remained low for a reason.  

“We want people to support the food pantry, and we want everybody, no matter what economic income level they are, to come and enjoy the event,” he said. “That’s why we’ve never made it hard for them to do so with high ticket prices.”

Harter said inflation has also increased the demand of the food pantries.

“The Christian Center of Park City also helps many of our clients with rental assistance and other basic needs, but we can only help them up to a point,” he said. “So, we encourage them to save money on their grocery bills by using our food pantries. And that way they can save money for other bills like gas, clothes and rent.”

Harter looks forward to the Hike for Hunger’s return to Canyons Village.

“Our first year was 2011, and we started at Deer Valley,” he said. “We moved around throughout the years to St. Regis, Canyons and Park City Mountain, so it’s been great to experience different parts of this area for the hike.”

Christian Center of Park City’s Hike for Hunger

• When: 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14
• Where: Canyons Village
• Registration: ccofpc.org/hike-for-hunger
• Web: ccofpc.org

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It’s never too early to get ready for the holidays, and the Park City Singers are getting a jump on their Yuletide cheer.

The nonprofit, local choir will start rehearsals for their upcoming Christmas concerts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at Park City Community Church, 4501 N. S.R. 224. The weekly rehearsals will run from 7-9 p.m. until the group’s concerts that are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 14 at the church.

Pianist Katy Lillquist will accompany the rehearsals and concerts. You might recognize her for her work with The Park City Follies, a local musical production that lampoons all things Park City, said Director Joe Demers.

“We would like to put a call out and say we need men’s voices — tenor and bass,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of years with some strong men’s voices, and I’m hoping those same people come back. But we can also use more men.”

The other section the choir would like to fill out are sopranos, Demers said.

“They have the melody a lot, so we can always use their help,” he said.

Singers who are interested in joining the choir can register online at parkcitysingers.org. 

“There is a fee of $45 to participate, and that basically helps with deferring the cost of the music,” Demers said. “We did buy some new music this year, so we will have a few new pieces that we will showcase.”

Some of the new pieces include “While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks” and “Benedictus,” according to Demers.

“‘While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks’ is a different version from what many people know, and it’s more subdued,” he said. “When we listened to it, we thought it was great, and we knew we needed to do it.”

“Benedictus” by Karl Jenkins is part of a larger work called “The Armed Man,” Demers explained.

“It’s like one of the first pieces in the work, and it’s beautiful,” he said. “The harmonies are amazing, and it’s also pretty subdued.”

The singers will also rehearse two additional new works, “A Choral Amen” by John Rutter and “Bidi Bom” by David Elddleman. 

“‘Bidi Bom’ is an upbeat Hanukkah song, and at the end it goes really fast,” Demers said. “Everyone will sing it counter-punctually, which means they are singing at different times, even though the harmonies all connect.”

“A Choral Amen” is another subdued work filled with interesting harmonies, Demers said.

“One of the reasons why we have so many subdued pieces is because we’re working on our dynamics more this year,” he said. “We have a wider range of louds and softs, and that’s because we want everybody to experience those ranges, so when we end the piece the audience will feel they connected with the piece really well.”

The concerts will also include some holiday favorites, some of which the Park City Singers haven’t performed for a while, Demers said.

Those works include the German carol “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” “A Christmas Waltz,” which has been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee and Doris Day, to name a few, “A Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

“We also have the ‘Santa’s on His Way’ medley, which is cool and jazzy, and we’re doing a piece called ‘The Christmas Classic Collection’ that has elements of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ as well as works like ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing,’” Demers said. “Again, like ‘Bidi Bom,’ this is performed counter-punctually, and it’s fascinating to hear two different melodies going on at the same time gel with each other.”

Among the classical works, the Park City Singers plan to perform “Gloria” from Schubert’s “Mass in G.”

“We did that one about three years ago, so we’re pulling that out again,” he said. “So, there’s a pretty cool snippet of what we’re doing this year.”

As Demers selected the works earlier this year, he purposely selected songs that would challenge the singers.

“We don’t want anybody to be bored,” he said with a laugh. “Last year’s pieces were very challenging, so I’m backing off a little bit. But while this year’s works are a little easier, the harder parts will be implementing that dynamic range of louds and softs. We can learn the notes well, but we’ll work on how to bring out the louder parts that have the melodies and how the other parts will be in harmony together.”

Upon registration, singers will receive a link to digital versions of the songs, Demers said.

“When I started with the Park City Singers in 2016 — I think that’s right — we made CDs,” he said. “Now, we have progressed to digital files.”

Demers has been recording the piano and men’s parts, and he recruited longtime singer Darla Cardwell to record the soprano and alto parts. 

“In the meantime, I have sent everybody who has registered so far YouTube videos of all the songs we’re singing as well,” Demers said. “That way we can start the first rehearsal on the ground running.”

The singers will receive a packet of music the first night of rehearsals, and the packets will also be available digitally for those who want to access the works on iPads or other electronic devices.

“We’re trying to be in the digital age in the 21st century and provide opportunities for all to access what they need in ways they are comfortable,” he said.

Demers is grateful to the Park City Singers board — including B.J. Reed, Mary Gootjes and treasurer Willa Fleming-Harkness — who approved the purchase of all the new music this year.

“I’d also like to thank our librarian Maggie Messina,” he said. “She’s the one who has everything organized. She put together the physical packets and has digitized a lot of music so people can access them through their electronic devices.”

Park City Singers Rehearsals

• When: 7 p.m. Tuesdays starting Sept. 10
• Where: Park City Community Church, 4501 N. S.R. 224
• Registration: parkcitysingers.org/register.html
• Web: parkcitysingers.org

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The Kimball Art Center and the Arts Council of Park City & Summit County invites art lovers and the art curious to a high-energy ball of fun called the 2024 Monster Drawing Rally.

The event, set to run from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Kimball Art Center, 1251 Kearns Blvd., will feature 26 local and regional artists, who will create unique works in three, 50-minute rounds that will then go on sale.

The money raised from the sales will be split in half to benefit both the center and the Arts Council, said Jocelyn Scudder, Arts Council of Park City & Summit County executive director.

“Both nonprofits work directly with visual artists in a variety of ways, and the Monster Drawing Rally is a fun way to highlight our missions as arts-driven nonprofits in Park City and Summit County.”

The partnership of the Kimball Art Center and the Arts Council of Park City & Summit County for the Monster Drawing Rally helps foster a healthy arts and cultural community,” said Aldy Milliken, Kimball Art Center executive director.

“Each year, we look forward to hosting the Monster Drawing Rally at Kimball Art Center,” he said. “The event brings together the creative community while inviting the community at-large to participate. It’s perfectly aligned with our mission to inspire, educate and connect through art.”

The event will also feature snacks, drinks and a bar for adults, all of which are made possible by sponsors Buona Vita, Tarahumara Park City, The Boneyard Saloon and The Moab Brewery.

And attendees will be able to visit the Kimball Art Center’s current exhibition, “Less Bad” by Karl Haendel.

The Monster Drawing Rally’s format hasn’t changed since it debuted eight years ago, according to Scudder.

“Artists will create an original piece of art, and at the end of a 50-minute period, all the pieces will go up for sale for $50,” she said. “If more than one person wants to purchase the piece, they will draw a playing card, and whoever draws the highest card wins. And it’s fun to see people’s faces when they’ve drawn the high card to win the piece.”

Since the night will be divided into three rounds, there are plenty of opportunities to win affordable and unique pieces of art, Scudder said.

“The Monster Drawing Rally levels the playing field and makes art accessible to everyone,” she said. “There are a lot of people, when they go to a gallery, who start to think that the works are out of their price range, and collecting art isn’t something they are able to do, so this is a fun and affordable way for them to start a collection and get to know someone who may become their favorite local artist.”

All of the artists donate their time to participate in the Monster Drawing Rally, Scudder said.

“We do an open call, and any artist is welcome to apply,” she said. “We do prefer that they are local or regional artists, and this is also a way for them to give back to the Kimball Art Center and Arts Council.”

The artists also have the opportunity to make some money through a silent auction, Scudder said.

“They all can bring in an original work of art that is already complete, and they price it themselves,” she said. “People will be able to bid on these works, and the money will be split 60-40, with 60% going back to the artist, and the remaining 40% will be split between the Kimball Art Center and Arts Council. Since most of the money goes back to the artists, we highly encourage people to place their bids in the silent auction.”

Giving artists exposure and introducing them to the public are also part of the event’s highlights, Scudder said.

“People will get a chance to ‘spy’ on the creative process of these artists and make connections with them,” she said. “And what better way to bring the community together than in a fun and energetic and loud and crazy event.”

Two of this year’s participating artists are Mark Maziarz and his 17-year-old son, Scout.

Scout, a Park City High School senior and painter, made his Monster Drawing Rally debut last year.

“I did some gouache and acrylic and paint markers,” he said. “I do a lot of rapid stuff and use all sorts of mediums.”

Scout’s attraction to visual art stems from life and the world around him.

“I see a pretty thing and think, ‘That’s so cool. I want to do that,’ or I sometimes decide to make my own pretty things,” he said.

Scout’s go-to medium is oil, but he works with different kinds of materials because he likes variety.

“They are all unique in their own way, but oil is so awesome because it’s so smooth,” he said. “I like how it looks and all the ridges and bumps it makes.”

Mark, a photographer by trade who has participated in a few Monster Drawing Rallys over the years, will create works with watercolors inspired by his pictures during this year’s event.

“I do a series of epoxy blocks, and they have a white background where I put cut-out images of historic buildings on Main Street and Miners Hospital that I have photographed,” he said. “So, what I’m going to do at this Monster Drawing Rally is do watercolor sketches of those pictures.”

Mark likes using watercolors not only because they fit well with the rally, but because he likes the looseness of the medium.

“People have responded to these, and I love doing them,” he said. “I will also have some of my photography there as well, so people can see what I do.”

The Monster Drawing Rally is the first public event that Mark and Scout will participate in together.

“One of the things we like about our family of four is that we’re all artists,” Mark said, referring to his wife, Mary Beth, and other son Foster, who are both musicians. “We do different things, but we all do the arts, and there are days when the four of us are all doing art, and there’s such a cool vibe in the house. We bounce ideas off of each other and then go off and do things on our own. Creativity is happening everywhere, and it’s such an uplifting feeling. It’s energizing, and I just love it.”

That creativity is inspiring and has spurred other projects, Mark said.

“Foster is also into cosplay, and he creates his own costumes,” he said. “He’s done (things inspired by) ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s,’ and he just finished a Spring Bonnie one for (the upcoming) FanX Convention.”

Scout, who, for the past four years, has been part the Kimball Art Center’s Young Artists’ Academy, a program for teenagers who are dedicated to the study and practice of the visual arts, creative thinking, and creative professions, looks forward to making more connections and building on the ones he forged last year.

“I love talking with people because I love people and I can talk about my art,” he said. “It’s also nice to talk with other artists, too.”

Mark is honored to have the opportunity to participate in the Monster Drawing Rally with Scout.

“Scout got in before I did,” he said with a laugh. “I found out I got in about a week ago.”

Both are also excited to be part of an event that benefits two of Park City and Summit County’s biggest visual arts nonprofits.

“People who come to the event and are part of it are great, and we are so happy the proceeds from the art sales are going to help the Arts Council and the Kimball Art Center,” Mark said. 

The 2024 Monster Drawing Rally

• When: 3-6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 14
• Where: Kimball Art Center, 1251 Kearns Blvd.
• Cost: $25 for adults; $10 for children ages 6-17; free for children ages 5 and younger 
• Registration: tinyurl.com/42s62cv3
• Web: kimballartcenter.org and pcscarts.org
• For information about Mark Maziarz and Scout Maziarz, visit maziarz.com and instagram.com/scout_paints.

Artists participating in the 2024 Monster Drawing Rally

• Kevin Arthofer
• Blake Bellet
• Brooke Blevins
• Angie Bizon
• Olivia Dawson
• Jimmy Eaton
• Kevin Gowers
• Ian Greenwood
• Brooke Elayne Hargis
• Lindalee Holmes
• Alicia Joos
• Katie Kurchinski
• Will Lochlin 
• Emily Madsen
• Mark Maziarz
• Scout Maziarz
• Bridgette Meinhold
• Renee Mox Hall
• Anna Nizhoni
• Tori Olson
• Dani Powers
• James Saarela
• Elissa Sabbö
• Kent Youngstrom
• Marley Wright
• Ella Zupo

The post Arts organizations scares up a high-energy fundraiser called the Monster Drawing Rally appeared first on Park Record.

Walk to End Alzheimer’s Summit/Wasatch County

The Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s Summit/Wasatch County is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 7. The day starts at 9 a.m. with registration at the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation Fieldhouse, 1388 Center Drive, and an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. The event will also feature speaker Dan Jawarski, who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s several years ago. The walk itself is an easy two-mile stroll along S.R. 224. For information visit act.alz.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=17973.

Park Silly Sunday Market on Lower Main Street

Park Silly Sunday Market continues its summer season and opens at 10 a.m. Sept. 1, 8, 15 and 22. The green, open-air street fair features live music, food, drinks and local entrepreneurs. Admission is free. For information, visit parksillysundaymarket.com.

Virtual Author Event with Garrett Graff

The Summit County Library will host a virtual author event with Garrett Graff at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 10. The author will speak about his work, with particular focus on his oral histories, “The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11” and “When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day.” To register, visit thesummitcountylibrary.org/events/virtual-author-event-garrett-graff. 

Cocktails with Friends Fundraiser

Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, a committee of the Park City Historical Society, will host Cocktails and Friends, a fundraiser for those ages 21, from 5-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Lookout Cabin deck at Park City Mountain. Cocktails with Friends will raise money that will be used to help restore the historical Silver King headframe complex, which is at the bottom of the Bonanza lift at Park City Mountain. For information, visit parkcityhistory.org/event/cocktails-with-friends.

Mountain Town Biohacking Challenge

Energy4Life Centers in Park City will partner with No False Summit, a local networking organization, for the first Mountain Town Biohacking Challenge on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 1755 Prospector Ave #100. The event, which features participation time slots, will help create an awareness of longevity and through the use of new technology and tools. For information and registration, visit nofalsesummit.com/biohacking2024.

Park City Farmers Market

The Park City Farmers Market runs from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. every Wednesday throughout the summer at Park City Mountain’s First Time chair lift parking lot. Admission is free. The Park City Farmers Market, which has been running for 21 years under Volker Ritzinger, features fresh, non-GMO produce, local meats and other local offerings. For information, visit parkcityfarmersmarket.com.

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Jill Orschel, an award-winning, Park City-based documentary filmmaker is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of her next project “Snowland.”

The film, which is about Cora Lee Witt, a former child bride and member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint cult, is ready to be submitted to the Sundance Film Festival and other festivals.

“It would be a dream to be in Sundance,” said Orschel, whose breakout short film “Sister Wife,” premiered at the 2009 festival. “Sundance inspired the work, but (I know) it will find its home.”

One of the reasons why “Snowland” can be submitted is because Orschel and animator Bridey Bush are finishing the last of the film’s animated sequences, which are based on a fantasy world Witt created under her alter ego C. Raven.

This world helped Witt cope with being under appreciated and abused while living under the strict religious and patriarchal rules of the polygamous sect.

“We’ve been working on the sequences for a year,” said Bush, who was born and raised in Park City. “It’s been an amazing experience. It’s taught me so much.”
Bush and Orschel’s collaboration stems from the friendship between the filmmaker and

Bush’s mother, Sharon Bush, who is one of The Park Record’s advertising representatives.

As luck would have it, Bush was finishing up an animation program at Evergreen State College in Washington.

“We’ve known the Orschels from way back, and Jill was looking for someone to work with in person,” said Bush, who at one time was an internationally ranked skier. “I (had) created a couple of short films. One was a mix of stop-motion and frame-by-frame, and one was about skiing and the environment. I actually wrote an essay explaining the parallels between the mountain body and the female body in our global cultures.”

Orschel had previously worked with Jeremy Rourke, an Academy Award-nominated animator, on “Snowland.”

“He is an amazing and talented animator from San Francisco, and he developed essentially the aesthetic with me,” Orschel said. “But I could tell that I could work with someone who was female or female identifying who could really click with Cora’s story. And Bridey’s right in there.”

Bush created the animated sequences in “Snowland” from Witt’s own sketches and colored drawings of landscapes and characters as well as family photos and newspaper clippings, Orschel said.

“(The) ‘Snowland’ (element) can come into (the film) at any time, and they serve as the emotional barometer of a scene,” she said.

Bush compiled the images and shot each piece, frame by frame, with 12 frames per second, and since the process is so meticulous, she and Orschel have adapted a ski-racing metaphor to keep things rolling.

“When we figure out the layouts together and the collages together and how it’s going to move, Bridey’s on her own when going out the gate,” Orschel said. “The coach can’t come with her, so if you make a mistake, you just keep going.”

That frame of mind has been helpful but also something Bush has come to terms with.

“(It’s) something I struggle with — (to) just keep moving and embrace those imperfections,” she said with a laugh. “We’re beautifully imperfect, and it’s all a part of this beautiful aesthetic.”

But these little flaws are something that gives these sequences depth, according to Orschel.

“That’s the beauty part of it,” she said. “The little imperfections are the moments when you see the artist behind it.”

Bush has always been interested in animated art.

“I’ve always been interested in it, and I love animated cartoons,” she said. “It’s so interesting that people’s perception of cartoons and animated shorts (is that they) are childish. But it’s actually so creative and surpasses boundaries of live action. It opens up the door to so many possibilities.”

Orcshel said the work Bush has done on “Snowland” only scratched the surface of how the artist perceived Witt’s story.

“This is a really talented young woman who has amazing sensibility,” Orschel said. “The animation in ways are magical and so enchanting but are very subtle, and they come alive, so we’re seeing not only her creativity, but her acute intelligence.”

Bush relates to Orschel and Witt as fellow creatives.

“Cora (used) her artistry to get through hard times,” Bush said. “She used it to survive and to thrive. She’s so inspirational. I’m so honored to bring her art forward into another form of ‘aliveness.’”

Bush is honored to work on the film, which documents the plight of one of many women who managed to escape the fundamentalist communities.

“I was fascinated by Cora’s story as an artist, and when Jill told me more about it, and I started researching, I became passionate about all of these women,” she said. “As a woman, an artist and as a person who aspires for peace and love, I was passionate about bringing these women’s stories to light and showing their strengths and resilience and (showing) the power of art to heal.”

Submitting “Snowland” to Sundance and other film festivals is not the only goal Orschel has for the film.

“We’d like to get the finished project in front of women that maybe haven’t (crossed) the bridge (that Cora) did, but who have that story within,” she said.

Orschel also invites anyone interested in the film to visit its website, jillorschel.com/snowland.

“We’re seeking some finishing funds, so if they want to learn about the project or if they want to be part of the effort to bring this creative, inspiring, important and unique story to the screen,” she said.

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Mountain Mediation Center’s mission is “bringing people together to prevent conflict, resolve disputes and improve communication for a more inclusive community,” said Nicole Wozniak, the nonprofit’s communications and event coordinator.

The nonprofit does this by providing mediation services, landlord and tenant education, communication training and community conversations. 

Mountain Mediation Center is known for the following pillars:

• Improving our community’s communications skills with its Let’s Talk trainings and Community Conversations
• Preventing eviction and homelessness by helping landlords and tenants communicate together and through tenant education
• Mediating conflicts on a sliding scale, including domestic mediations that create better outcomes for couples going through divorce and ensure positive outcomes for their children

It also makes sure that these programs and training sessions are affordable to individuals, organizations, schools and businesses in Summit and Wasatch counties, Wozniak said.

“We are providing access to justice on free and sliding scales,” she said.

In order to continue this, Mountain Mediation Center will host its second annual Pizza at the Pendry! Fundraiser from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, at Disco Pizza in the Pendry Hotel at Canyons Village. Tickets can be purchased at mountainmediationcenter.org/events.

“There will be lots of pizza and a lot of good company and conversations,” Wozniak said. “There will also be information about the needs facing our community and how Mountain Mediation is innovating to address those issues.”

“So, this will be a great opportunity for those who don’t know about us to learn about us, and for people of may have attended last year or who have supported us in the past, this will be a great refresher and update of the things we’ve been doing over the past year,” she said. 

The night will also include a silent auction and opportunity drawing, according to Wozniak.

Items include ski tickets, gift cards to local restaurants and free popcorn passes to Park City Film.

“We are also auctioning off an Egyptian Theatre Pharaoh membership and more to be announced,” she said, noting that the opportunity drawing’s grand prize will also be announced soon.

Opportunity drawing tickets can also be purchased online, and ticket holders don’t have to be present to win, Wozniak said.

“Obviously we would love to see them at the event, but if they want to support MMC and can’t attend, they can still buy tickets,” she said. “Also, the silent auction will be live digitally on our website.”

Wozniak is grateful for the support of local businesses and organizations who have donated items for the auction and drawing.

“To see support from our community is so impactful to us,” she said. “We’re such a small organization with only four staff members and a fantastic team of volunteer mediators and volunteers who run our training. So, we really appreciate the support.”

Wozniak is also thankful for Mountain Mediation Center’s partnership with the Pendry Hotel.

“They supported us with our first fundraiser last year, and this is a fantastic and great partnership,” she said. “Disco Pizza is an intimate space but still has room for many people to come and gather and learn more about Mountain Mediation Center.”

Mountain Mediation Center is on track to assist 1,500 people this year through community outreach, mediations, communication trainings and community conversations, Wozniak said.

“A lot of our work is building relationships by tabling events and showcasing what we have to offer and getting people educated about their rights,” she said. “The current climate is very divisive, and I think now, more than ever, it’s important to give people skills to effectively communicate with each other. So, holding trainings allows people to improve their communications skills and offers the opportunity to prevent conflict before it occurs. It’s also important to remember that court is expensive and time consuming.”

Mediation also gives people an opportunity to listen, Wozniak said.

“We provide a basis for people to consider and understand different perspectives a little better, rather than have them go into a situation and not engage,” she said. “All voices are valuable and deserve a space where they can communicate effectively, rather than just avoiding conversations we don’t want to have.”

Mountain Mediation Center’s Pizza at the Pendry! Fundraiser

• When: 5-7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 13
• Where: Disco Pizza at the Pendry Hotel at Canyons Village
• Registration: mountainmediationcenter.org/events
• Web: mountainmediationcenter.org

The post Mountain Mediation Center serves up Pizza at the Pendry! appeared first on Park Record.

Park City Film, the town’s art house nonprofit, will celebrate its 30th anniversary this season, and Executive Director Katharine Wang says its longevity is due to the local community’s love for independent film.

“What I love about being the director of Park City Film is that I know I can bring in films that are kind of outside of the mainstream,” she said. “Park City Film has created generations of people who are willing to be pushed beyond their comfort level in terms of what they are willing to see and stories they are willing to engage with and conversations they are willing to be a part of. That’s what people look to us for. They want to know what else is out there, what stories are being told around the world — in India, in Korea, in rural Arkansas.”

While those stories are unique to those places and people, there are commonalities with the stories of local residents, according to Wang.

One example is Matteo Garrone’s 2023 Academy Award-nominated documentary “Io Capitano,”’ which is about migrants coming from Africa into Europe,” she said. 

“It’s so far away, but it may be part of your story,” Wang said. “My father was a refugee from China, so I see these stories and his journey, and it has a touch point in my own personal history.”

These types of films remind the local community about the common bond it shares as humans, according to Wang.

“I think everyone has that recognition and how empowering it is to know you’re not alone and that you have this connection with people on the other side of the world,” she said. “But it’s also about the differences that make us unique and what is so beautiful about the human tapestry. That’s certainly what we’re trying to do with our new season.”

Park City Film will kick off the season this weekend with Josh Margolin’s “Thelma,” rated PG-13. Other films include Darcy Wittenburg, Darren McCullough and Colin Jones’ “Anytime,” rated PG, (See September’s screenings below).

“The overarching theme with our 30th anniversary is celebrating independent cinema and the beauty of film exhibition, and we’re doing things slightly differently this season,” Wang said. “We certainly have a great lineup planned that will certainly entice people of all ages to come in with their friends, family members and new people in town to create community and enjoy some fantastic stories.”

Many of the weekend screenings came from past Sundance Film Festivals, Wang said.

“These are films I think people appreciate,” she said. “We’ve also looked at curating our special screenings that usually screen on Thursday night. And we’re trying to be perhaps a little bit more eclectic in our mix.”

Special screenings include the short film “Black Ice” that is part of an evening with Olympian Akwasi Frimpong, as well as an encore screening of Conor Hagen’s documentary, “High Country,” not rated, Wang said. 

When programming this month, Wang and her staff looked at many adventure documentaries.

“We do these in the fall because ski season is starting to come upon us,” she said. “But we also select other documentaries that speak to the ethos of our community. So, we look at everything from green businesses to female entrepreneurship to a celebration of community — hitting all of those touch points and inviting people back to the theater.”

Getting people into the theater is one of the main missions of Park City Film, Wang said.

“I think film exhibition for the past couple of years with COVID and the (Writers Guild of America) strike has made things a little unsteady and unpredictable in terms of what products are available,” she said. “Sure you can watch films at home, but when you’re in the theater, the joy comes from just the emoting — the gasps of admiration and excitement and the jumps of seeing something new, thrilling and unexpected — and having those conversations afterwards.”

Showing emotion during a film is something Wang looks forward to.

“Hearing someone laughing or crying next to you gives you permission to be more expressive than you might otherwise allow yourself to be,” she said. “I think people are surprised at how intense things can be in a good way because it’s such an immersive experience with the sound and the sights. It doesn’t matter if it’s a comedy or drama. There’s something unique and extremely special about seeing it in the theater.”

The 30th anniversary kind of snuck up on Wang, she said.

“Our 25th anniversary was in 2020, and it was hard to do anything then,” she said, laughing. “So, we’re taking this time to remind people to come out and see movies in movie theaters.”

Park City Film’s 30th Anniversary screenings for September

• 6-8 — “Thelma,” directed by Josh Margolin, rated PG-13

2024 Sundance Film Festival premiere, and a take on the action-adventure heist film about a 90-year-old woman who falls victim to a phone scammer. Wine and beer available for purchase. 

• 12 — “Anytime,” directed by Darcy Wittenburg, Darren McCullough and Colin Jones, Family Film Fest screening rated PG

It’s a new, free-ride mountain-bike film from Anthill Films and Red Bull Media House that celebrates athleticism and the joy of hitting your highest potential.

• 13-15 — “Good One,” directed by India Donaldson, rated R

A 2024 Sundance Film Festival premiere, “Good One” is a coming-of-age story about a young high-school senior and lesbian who goes on a camping trip with two divorced men — her dad and her dad’s best friend.

• 19 — “Black Ice,” an evening with Olympian Akwasi Frimpong, Raising Voices Series screening, not rated

Akwasi Frimpong is a Dutch-Ghana athlete who became the first Black male skeleton Olympian, and the film is about his journey. He created Hope of a Billion Foundation to serve the Black community. Tickets are $10 for general admission and free for students. Proceeds will benefit the Hope of a Billion Foundation, and he and Emily Fisher, executive director of the Youth Sports Alliance, and a couple of athletes, will participate in a discussion.

• 20-22 — “Sugarcane,” directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, rated R

Winner of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Directing Award: U.S. Documentary, in English and Secwepemctsin, with English subtitles, about the impact an Indigenous boarding school had on a Canadian community and how the community is facing and dealing with the generational trauma.

• 27-29 — “Widow Clicquot,” directed by Thomas Napper, rated R

Based on the interesting true story of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (1777–1866) who, at the age of 20, became Madame Clicquot after marrying François Clicquot, the scion of a winemaking family and who revolutionized the champagne industry after deciding to carry on the family’s legacy after his death.  

• 30 — “High Country,” by Conor Hagen, Reel Community Series screening, not rated

This is a celebration and farewell to Miles Rademan, who founded Leadership Park City. This year marks his 30th class. The film looks at the residents of Crested Butte, Colorado, formerly including Rademan, who appears in the film, and how they retain the spirit and soul of the community while they face so much development. 

For information, visit parkcityfilm.org.

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Park City Farmers Market

The Park City Farmers Market runs from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. every Wednesday throughout the summer at Park City Mountain’s First Time chair lift parking lot. Admission is free. The Park City Farmers Market, which has been running for 21 years under Volker Ritzinger, features fresh, non-GMO produce, local meats and other local offerings. For information, visit parkcityfarmersmarket.com.

Green Reads Book Club: Paul Bogard’s ‘End of Night’

Park City Library and Park City Municipal’s Planning Department will join forces for a Green Reads Book Club discussion at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The free event, which is open to the public at the Park City Library’s Community Room, will include a virtual community discussion with Paul Bogard, author of “End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light,” and look at the importance and benefits of protecting the night sky. For information, visit parkcitylibrary.org.

Sips n’ Stories with The Summit County Library

The Summit County Library will host Sips n’ Stories, a virtual book club discussion and cocktail-making event for grown-ups, ages 21 and older, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4. The book will be Shelby Van Pelt’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” a mystery and thriller. The cocktail will be The Old Man and the Sea. To register, visit thesummitcountylibrary.org/calendar.

Artique First Friday: Tribute to Ed Wittrock

This month’s First Friday Artist Opening on Sept. 6 at Artique, 283 N. Main in Kamas, will be a celebration of life for Ed Wittrock, who died on Aug. 5. The event, which is open to the public, will run from 5-8 p.m. and pay tribute to the local artist known as the “Leafer in Charge,” because of his 60-year career creating metal sculpting, drawings and leaf jewelry. For information, visit facebook.com/events/1254686679029117/?ref=newsfeed.

Saturday Morning Nature Walks at the Swaner Preserve

Saturday morning nature walks are held at 8:30 a.m. every Saturday at the Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter. The cost is $10 per person and $5 for local residents. Depending upon the time of year, lucky hikers may see an abundance of birds, elk, or even nesting sandhill cranes. For information and to register, visit swanerecocenter.org.

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Miners Day is returning to its roots in a nitty, gritty way.

The mucking and drilling, which was turned into a demonstration in 2021, will return in full force on Monday afternoon at City Park.

During the mucking portion, competitors will use heavy machinery to load rocks, or muck, which is broken up ore, into a mining cart and dump it as quickly as possible.

Drilling competitors, on the other hand, will use large drills and hoses to see how far they can drill two holes in a 10-ton piece of sandstone in the shortest amount of time.

The idea to bring back these competitions started with Kristin Wright, this year’s Miners Day chair.

“I remember going to the competition with my kids, who were raised here in Old Town, many years ago,” she said. “When I saw the competition fire up, it was like a ghost had come to life. I missed it, and I know my friends around town missed it. So when I said we’re going to bring this back, everybody was really excited.”

Wright credited longtime Parkite Richard Pick who got the stone rolling on this year’s competition.

“He has all of these mining connections and worked with the Park City Historical Society,” she said. “I talked with him and he said, ‘Yeah. We can do it.’ And he resurrected his contacts and sent out emails.”

Competitors will break up and drill into rocks that are, for now, located at Miners Hospital, according to Wright.

“We’re going to reuse one, Jerren Chamberlain at the Park City Parks Department, who is responsible for moving the rocks into the right spot for the competition,” she said. “We are so grateful to the city and Jenny Diersen, who is in charge of special events for the city, for partnering with us on the celebration.”

In addition to the mucking and drilling competition, the annual Running of the Balls will return. Although the Running of the Balls never went away, this year will mark something new, Wright said.

“We have a new tower that has guardrails where we will let loose about 15,000 golf balls down a track,” she said.

Summit County Councilor Canice Harte worked with Bill Wilde of the Coalville-based Reesco manufacturing to design, engineer and build the new tower, according to Wright.

“The tower, known as Tower 2.0, is much safer and sturdy,” she said. “We are grateful to Bill, who had space in the schedule to make it.”

Main Street will close around 6 a.m. to accommodate volunteers setting up the tower, it will be fully closed at 8 a.m. for the Running of the Balls and the parade that follows.

While the Running of the Balls is one of Miners Day highlights, it is also a way for Park City Rotary, who is in charge of the event, to raise funds for grants, Wright said..

“The public can buy balls and those who buy the first balls that roll into the landing chute will get some prizes,” Wright said.

Prizes include skiing and golf experiences, dining and spa visits and gift cards from an array of businesses.

The public can buy balls online at parkcityminersday.org/collections/all-balls, and the prices are  $10 each; three for $20; eight for $50 and 20 for $100.

“Proceeds from the ball run and our sponsor partners fund Park City Rotary’s Community Grants and Scholarship programs,” Wright said. “Giving back to the community is what the club is really all about, and we have certain areas of emphasis — women and children, education — and that’s what we focus on when we award the grants.”

Park City Rotary gives out $30,000 in small grants to organizations that have less and $1 million in their budgets, and large grants of up to $100,000 to organizations that have $2 million in their budgets, according to Wright.

“These are all local nonprofits, and we want the grants to make a huge impact in those organizations,” she said.

In addition, Park City Rotary will sell a maximum of 200 silver golf balls — half online, and half on Main Street — on Monday, beginning at 9 a.m. until they sell out or until 10:30 a.m., when the Running of the Balls begins.

The winner of the Silver Strike will receive a travel package valued at $3,000, Wright said.

After the Running of the Balls, Miners Day continues with its annual parade down Main Street, the Friends of the Park City Library’s used book sale (see page B-3) and a day of fun at City Park.

The term Miners Day originated as Miners Union Day in 1898 to honor miners by giving them a day off, according to Wright.

In the 1940s, Miners Union Day merged with the nationally celebrated Labor Day holiday, she said.

The full schedule for Miners Day 2024

• 7:30-9:30 a.m. – Miners Day Breakfast, cooked by Saint Mary’s Catholic Church at City Park
• 8 a.m. – Miners Day Bark City 5k Run, City Park, a dog-friendly race organized by the Twilight Rotary
• 10:30 a.m. – Running of the Balls, Main Street
• 11a.m. – Miners Day Parade, Main Street, registration ends Aug. 29.
• 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. – Food Trucks & Beer/Liquor Garden, City Park
• 11:45 a.m.-4 p.m. – Live Music in the Park, City Park Stage, programmed by Mountain Town Music
• Noon-4 p.m. – History Presentations at Miners Hospital Open House
• 12:30-1 p.m. – Kids Games, City Park
• 12:30-3 p.m. – Mining Competitions, City Park

For more information, visit parkcityminersday.org.

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One of the highlights of Park City’s annual Miners Day celebration (see page A-1) is the Friends of the Park City Library’s used book sale.

This year’s sale will be held on Sunday, Sept. 1, and Monday, Sept. 2. Members of the Friends of the Park City LIbrary, an organization that raises money to supplement the library’s annual budget, will be admitted for a two-hour, pre-sale preview at 8 a.m. on Sunday, before doors open to the general public from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Memberships can be purchased at the door or at friends-of-the-park-city-library.square.site prior to the sale.

The sale will continue for the public from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday and will feature a tote-bag happy hour from 2-4 p.m. where shoppers will be able to fill a provided bag for $15, according to Rachel Sahlman, Friends of the Park City Library board member.

“All paperbacks for adults are $2, and adult hardcover books are $3,” she said. “And those include coffee-table and art books.”

In addition, the sale will also feature children’s books for $1, and they will be set together with puzzles, according to Cathy Lanigan, Friends of the Park City Library co-president.  

“Those will be available in room 301, while the paperbacks and hardcovers will be in the Community Room,” she said. “So, when you climb the stairs, you go right to the children’s section and left to the Community Room.”

Payment options include cash and Venmo, with credit cards accepted for purchases over $10.

Although the rest of the library will be closed save for the third floor during these days, Lucky Ones Coffee, located in the lobby, will be open, Sahlman said.

“They just renovated their space,” she said. 

All the books in the sale have been donated by the public, according to Lanigan.

“This sale will clear out everything in our storage room,” she said. “So, after this sale, we will start collecting for our next sale with an empty storage room.”

Sahlman is grateful for the donations, which can sometimes be overwhelming.

“It’s like the chocolate-factory episode in ‘I Love Lucy,’ except it’s books and not chocolate,” she said with a laugh. “We move a load of books, and then we have another pile. They just keep coming.”

The books will be sorted into 20 to 25 different categories, according to Sahlman.

“The categories include cookbooks, hobbies or sports, but it will be like a mini exploration,” she said. “The categories are broad enough so people can investigate, and we’ve had people in the past who spent a long time wandering through the areas and finding things they didn’t know they were looking for.”

The paperback will also be broken down into alphabetical order by authors, Sahlman said.

“It’s amazing how many people come in looking for particular authors,” she said.

The Miners Day used book sale, along with the Friends of the Park City Library’s Fourth of July used book sale, benefits the Friends of the Park City Library programs, Lanigan said.

“(Our organization) looks to support the library as it engages the community at large,” she said. “That includes things like live Music on the Patio to wider programs like One Book, One Community, which is partially funded by the Park City Library.”

The object is not just to provide the programming, but to use these programs to get the community involved with the library, Lanigan said.

“From our perspective, this book sale is another program,” she said. “It brings people who love reading, people who love the library or people who don’t know what the library has to offer together.”

The money raised through the sale also supports the library’s pilot programs, such as mindfulness classes, according to Lanigan.

“If those programs are successful, they end up on the library’s annual budget,” she said. “We also use the money to provide training for our librarians, and we often help send them to professional training events and conferences.”

The Miners Day used book sale has attracted return customers over the years, Lanigan said.

“We identify them as potential volunteers and look for ways to get them more engaged and supportive of the library,” she said. “We are always looking for volunteers because many hands make easy work. And we depend on community members to help with events like this book sale.”

Sometimes those volunteers end up on the Friends of the Park City Library board, Sahlman said.

“There will be board members who plan to volunteer at our book sale, so if anyone has questions, there are always people who can answer questions and talk with folks about opportunities,” she said.

Miners Day Used Book Sale

• When: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 1, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday, Sept 2
• Where: Park City Library, 1255 Park Ave.
• Web: parkcitylibrary.org

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