Get Your Game On ! Experience the Utah Summer Games in Cedar City, UTAh

by Kaylee Pickering | Photos courtesy of Visit Cedar City · Brian Head

Soccer, basketball, horseshoes, and more! The month of June in Cedar City gets a little wild as Festival City plays host to the annual Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games.

The Utah Summer Games is a festival for athletes of all ages and abilities that has become a beloved tradition for locals and visitors. Since 1986, the event has been held at Southern Utah University, and event locations have since spread throughout Cedar City as the games have grown in popularity.

During the first few weeks of June, you’ll see gaggles of children in bright uniforms on nearly every corner in town. Their cleats clack throughout buildings and echo on the sidewalks, and vehicles adorned with team colors, names, and participant jersey numbers are everywhere. Local businesses join the fun with special deals for teams and athletes and even festive sport-themed decor.

The streets and businesses are a bit busier during this time, and the excitement is palpable! Athletes of all ages compete in a wide variety of sporting events, hoping to claim a medal. Tables strewn with medals of gold, silver, and bronze within Southern Utah University’s P.E. building entice participants to do their very best.

Traditional team sports like soccer and basketball draw the largest crowds, but there are some unexpectedly fun events at the Utah Summer Games that are also worth checking out. The crowd at horseshoes is delightful, and with snacks, banter, and encouragement from the audience, it feels like a regular party! The skill on display at the track events is incredible! Water polo is easily one of the most intense events to attend, while dodgeball is delightfully chaotic. And who doesn’t love a little “Katniss Everdeen” moment as they visit the archery competition?

Opening Ceremonies

The biggest and best fireworks show and party in southern Utah, the opening ceremonies for the Utah Summer Games is a mustsee summer event. Head over to the Southern Utah University campus on the afternoon of Friday, June 9, to see why this is one event that everyone loves. The annual block party is a great way to get to know the event sponsors. Play carnival games at various booths, win prizes, get your face painted, and don’t forget to grab a bite!

Every year, the block party is host to incredible food trucks and dessert vendors from around southern Utah. After the block party, turn in your tickets at the gate of the Southern Utah University football field, and settle in for the athlete parade that follows the national anthem! Amid the 100 U.S. flags that line the field, the athletes have a chance to feel like the rockstars they are as they take to the track to wave, throw t-shirts, and then gather on the football field for the concert that comes afterward.

Every year, following the lighting of the torch, there is a musical performance (in 2019, it was the Plain White T’s) and then a spectacular fireworks display! Cedar City really puts its heart and soul into ensuring that these fireworks are some of the biggest and best that attendees will see all year!

It wouldn’t truly feel like summer in Cedar City without the Utah Summer Games to kick it off. The enthusiasm of thousands of participants, spectators, and volunteers brings a special atmosphere to the commencement of summer that our community would not be the same without. The brightly colored uniforms, the familiar sound of cleats, the thunder of fireworks, and enthusiastic sideline cheers are all an integral part of the season.V

Located at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, the games start June 1 and run through June 25, with the opening ceremonies taking place on Friday, June 9.

Learn more at www.UtahSummerGames.org.