Community Stories & Happenings
Explore our Magnify Stories collection that highlights the various perspectives and marked experiences that make Utah who and what it is today. These carefully curated blogs are a way of coming together in our shared stories while nodding to the past and welcoming future.
Most Recent
Celebrating the Educators Who Show Up for Utah — In Every Way That Matters
4 min read | Whether it’s cheering students on at leadership events or lifting up cultural identity and student voice,...
Juneteenth Freedom Festival: A Time to Celebrate Freedom & Culture in Utah
4 min read | Now recognized as the longest-running Juneteenth celebration in the state, this family-friendly event has grown into...
Connecting People, Places, and Stories to History: Magnify Utah Partners with the Utah Historical Society
4 min read | We’re thrilled to announce a meaningful collaboration between the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs’ Magnify Utah...
All Posts
Wes Porter | Rural Roots and Serving with Honor
2 minute read | My grandfather brought me to rural Utah from San Diego, California. We had no family here...
Utah’s Living Traditions
3 minute read | By: Dustin Khong A Festival of Legacies What event better showcases Utah’s wide-ranging cultural heritage than...
Utah’s Heart of Scandinavia: The Utah Scandinavian Festival
2 minute read | Written by: Dustin Khong Utah’s Scandinavian Festival has been a staple and a spectacle since 1976...
Utah’s Annual Greek Festival
3 minute read | By: Dustin Khong Featured Image Credit: Salt Lake Tribune Celebrate Culture, Cuisine, and Community Welcome to...
Utah’s Scottish Festival
3 minute read | By: Dustin Khong Celtic Charms and Highland Hues The annual Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games...
Utah’s Obon Celebration
3 minute read | By Dustin Khong Festival-goers can experience the rhythmic pulse of taiko drums and join the lively Bon...
Utah Pride Festival: A Colorful Celebration of Community and Connection in the Heart of Salt Lake City
3 min read | Over the years, the Utah Pride Festival has become more than just a weekend event—it’s a...
Utah Filipino Festival: A Joyful Celebration of Filipino Heritage in the Heart of Utah
3 min read | Since its founding in 2014, this grassroots, community-powered festival has grown into one of Utah’s most...
The Power of Us: How Magnify Utah Came to Be
7 minute read | While I’ve traveled across the country and the world and learned to appreciate the beauty of...
The Festival Celebrating Utah’s Asian Communities for More Than 40 Years
3 minute read | By: Dustin Khong Featured Image Credit: Utah Asian Festival One of Utah’s Longest Running Festivals As...
Swiss Days in Utah
3 minute read | By: Dustin Khong Featured Image Credit: Midway City A Taste of Switzerland in the Rocky Mountains...
Sinia Maile | Crowned in Culture, Committed to Community
2 minute read | My family came from Tonga to West Valley City and we’ve been here ever since. Utah...
Sebastian de Freitas | New Beginnings Lead to Abundant Connections
1 minute read | I moved to Utah not knowing much about it, but now I can define Utah in...
Roots and Traditions: Journeying Through Utah’s History of Cultural Celebration
1 minute read | View a glimpse of the colorful array of festivals that honor the heritage and roots of...
Reflecting On First-Generation Stories: My Family Diary
6 minute read | By: Dustin Khong Each family had their own unique perspective and journey, but it was a...
Pacific Islander Heritage Month
3 minute read | By: Dustin Khong Featured Image Credit: Pacific Island Knowledge to Action Resources Utah Offers Displays of...
Mike Spence | Coaching Hearts and Minds
3 minute read | I moved to Utah after college to train with the legendary track and field coach, Chick...
Martha Castleton | Grounded in Home, Soaring in Service
2 minute read | I actually came back to Eureka, Utah, after living away for a few years as a...
Many Languages, One Utah: Stories of Language, Learning and Legacy
5 min read | Utah is celebrated for its stunning red rock canyons, snow-capped mountains, and tight-knit communities — but...
Magnify Utah West Side Tours Workshops: Celebrating Stories Through Place
5 minute read | The West Side Tours initiative is a collection of StoryMaps, which are web-based maps that draw...
Magnify Utah and America250: A Celebration of Stories That Define Us
4 minute read | As part of Utah’s America250 initiative, people across the state have been invited to reflect on...
Lunar New Year in Utah
5 minute read | By Dustin Khong Each community celebrates the traditional festival in their own way, but all sponsor...
Juneteenth Freedom Festival: A Time to Celebrate Freedom & Culture in Utah
4 min read | Now recognized as the longest-running Juneteenth celebration in the state, this family-friendly event has grown into...
Festa Italiana SLC
5 minute read | By: Dustin Khong The festival also features cultural exhibits about history, craft demonstrations, and activities drawn...
Experience the Magic of the Utah Shakespeare Festival
2 min read | By Dustin Khong Since its inaugural season in 1962, the festival has blossomed into a nationally...
Eli Madrigal | Striving for the American Dream Through Groceries With Heart
1 minute read | I immigrated to the United States when I was 15 years old. My grandfather was born...
Dr. Richard Ferguson | From Frontline Care to Community Health and Welfare
2 minute read | I grew up as a lower-middle class kid in Washington D.C. and was the first in...
Dr. Miguel Trujillo | Social Worker and Community-Engaged Scholar
2 minute read | I am a third- generation Utahn with my grandparents immigrating to Corrine City from Mexico when...
Dr. King’s Visit to Utah: Building the Beloved Community Then and Now
6 minute read | Did you know that world renowned civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited the Beehive...
Dr. Kelly Asao | Dedicated Educator and Community-Builder
1 minute read | I came to Utah as a professor of psychology at Westminster University. It was supposed to...
Days of ’47: Utah’s Heart of the Pioneer Spirit
2 minute read | Written by: Dustin Khong The festival commemorates the journey of early Utah settlers who traveled the...
Connecting People, Places, and Stories to History: Magnify Utah Partners with the Utah Historical Society
4 min read | We’re thrilled to announce a meaningful collaboration between the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs’ Magnify Utah...
Celebrating the Educators Who Show Up for Utah — In Every Way That Matters
4 min read | Whether it’s cheering students on at leadership events or lifting up cultural identity and student voice,...
Celebrating Life and Culture at Utah’s Festival Latinoamericano
3 minute read | By: Dustin Khong Featured Image Credit: Festival Latinoamericano ¡Viva la Vida! Step into the heart of...
Amplifying the Voices of Utah’s Mariachis
3 minute read | More than 400 people attended Sones de Mariachi en Utah on Aug 30, the state’s first-ever...
Adrienne Andrews | Knitted in Love and Community
2 minute read | I build communities no matter where I am. Whether it’s in a career or profession or...
Partner HAPPENINGS
In Utah, our organizations combine passion for service and dedication to innovation. Making connections is our strength. Here are some stories from partners across our state that are exemplifying the mission of Magnify Utah.
Magnify Utah’s Community Pages capture organizations that support communities through resources, connections, and opportunity-building. Information found at external links on partner websites do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement (CCE), Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs, or divisions associated with CCE. The intent of this resource is to centralize information, not to endorse. The Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs reserves the right to accept or reject any submission or suggestion that does not align with the mission of Magnify Utah.
