Made in Utah Winter Fest 2019

Winter Fest is the remembrance and celebration of lost holiday traditions. It is the recovery of childhood nostalgia and the reconstruction of the simpler times. For three weekends in December, you will have the opportunity to be whisked back to the time when you believed in Father Christmas.

Richard Markosian

November 25, 2019

Made in Utah Winter Fest and Winter Walk Dec. 7-8, 14-15 and 21-22

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — (November 20, 2019) — Utah Stories has partnered with The Gateway to present the second annual Made in Utah Winter Fest in collaboration with the Gateway’s unique Winter Walk holiday light experience. With distinctive holiday light displays created by local artists, specialty art and cultural programming each December weekend and a focus on local shopping, it promises to be an amazing “Winter Wonderland” experience for all ages.

This holiday season, options are plentiful starting with the popular Lights On Nov. 21 at dusk. The second annual Winter Walk is a unique holiday light stroll held nightly during Winter Fest. The Gateway will close down Rio Grande, allowing guests to stroll the property looking at the Winter Wonderland light display while they sip on the hot beverage of their choice — from cocoa to spiked cider. This year’s holiday light display was created in partnership with Utah Artists Alliance and local artists. It’s filled with unique one-of-a-kind custom sculptures and arts installations, turning the entire Gateway into a dreamy winter wonderland of light and art. It all adds up to the perfect setting for everyone’s “holiday card” photo with ample shopping and dining options while they enjoy the photo ops.

Shoppers have three full weekends to visit the Made in Utah Winter Fest with 50 pop-up local vendors featured on Dec. 7-8, 14-15 and 21-22. The market runs from 1-9 p.m. on Saturdays and 1-7 p.m. on Sundays and Winter Walk happens both evenings.

Winter Fest is the remembrance and celebration of lost holiday traditions. It is the recovery of childhood nostalgia and the reconstruction of the simpler times.

“On the exterior, the Made in Utah Winter Fest is a community-driven, free to the public, and family-friendly market that showcases some of Utah’s top artists, musicians, artisans, product makers including breweries, distilleries, restaurants, food trucks, and other local businesses in Utah, while boosting our local economy… But it is so much more than that…

“Winter Fest is the remembrance and celebration of lost holiday traditions. It is the recovery of childhood nostalgia and the reconstruction of the simpler times. For three weekends in December, you will have the opportunity to be whisked back to the time when you believed in Father Christmas, for you and your children will have the opportunity to interact with an authentic “Father Christmas.” You will ooh and aah at the beautiful and atmospheric lighting and décor that will pull you closer to the festive holiday spirits that lurk behind every corner. This is an evolving festival and will only get bigger and better every year so don’t miss out on the birth of an emerging Utah Tradition, The Made in Utah: Winter Fest,” says Danny Stewart, Local Folklorist and Traditions Bearer, and Utah Stories event coordinator.

About Utah Stories:

Utah Stories is the voice of local Utah. Our mission is to promote and protect the power of the individual. It’s our belief that The Internet can become a means for individual voices to be heard through all of the clutter, spin and noise in the current media setting. It’s our mission to promote and highlight individuality in a world becoming more homogeneous. To this end, we highlight individual success stories and promote the home- grown culture found in Utah through our stories and events. Utah Stories is the organizer of Made in Utah Summer, Winter and Brewers Festivals

About The Gateway:

The Gateway is a 1.4 million square foot lifestyle destination in the heart of Downtown Salt Lake City. Owned and managed by Vestar, the property is in the midst of a $100 million redevelopment—infusing retail and dining, entertainment, modern office space, arts and culture, a boutique hotel, and a full calendar of community-driven events.

About Vestar:

As one of the leading privately held real estate companies in the United States, Vestar acquires, develops and manages shopping and entertainment destinations that serve as community focal points. Since its inception in 1989, Vestar has earned a reputation for integrity and responsibility in the fields of retail property development, operations, leasing and marketing. Vestar’s current portfolio of retail properties totals 30 million square feet throughout the western states. For more information, please visit vestar.com.

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Richard Markosian

I am a story teller and journalist. I have a passion for farmers, local craftspeople, and folks who aspire to create, build and grow their business in the local marketplace. Why local? By supporting locally-owned businesses we create more opportunity for entrepreneurs, and we claim our sovereignty to shape our communities how we want to see them. I aspire to build Utah Stories Magazine into a household Utah name, and assist Utah businesses and makers with marketing. On the journalism side of things my passion is investigative journalism that offers true insight into issues. I believe strongly in the forth estate: strong, meaningful, insightful journalism is essential to a free market Democracy.

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Low humidity accelerates evaporation during aging, often claiming 14–18 percent of a barrel’s contents as the “angel’s share.” Unlike more humid regions where alcohol evaporates faster, Utah barrels tend to lose more water, concentrating flavor and driving proof upward over time. That accelerated interaction pulls sugars, tannins, and spice from the wood more quickly, creating whiskeys that often taste older and more structured than their age statements suggest.

To understand how Utah distillers are deliberately harnessing climate, char, and finishing barrels to shape flavor, two producers at the forefront of that experimentation — Sugar House Distillery and Spirits of the Wasatch — shared how barrel choices influence everything from sweetness and spice to texture and proof.

*The remainder of this article is available to Utah Stories subscribers and includes in-depth reporting from Utah distillers on barrel selection, aging techniques, and experimental finishes.

To access this post, you must purchase Utah Stories (Digital + Print) or 3 month free trial (Digital).
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