Name: Why Stories Matter: A Conversation on Books, Censorship, and the Freedom to Read with Rebekah Cummings and Jennifer Nielsen
Start: 2026-10-02
End: 2026-10-02

A playful spin on the classic red sauce pizza joint, Disco Pizza is a mountain side go-to spot with signature and staple house-made pizzas, pastas and classic American-Italian comfort food. Featuring curated cold beers and handmade milkshakes with favorites made new. Meet you at the milkshake bar.

Disco Pizza

Just steps from the Sunrise Gondola, Après Pendry is a centrally located lobby lounge and bar where a European-inspired take on mountainside socializing comes alive. Come for handcrafted coffee and cocktails, an array of beer & wine, shareable comfort food, and a cozy, yet contemporary slopeside setting with indoor and outdoor seating, roaring fireplace, live music and a bustling bar. Open daily for afternoon and evening libations and food.

Apres Pendry

We can cater biking, hiking, rafting/kayaking, snowshoe tours, sightseeing tours to fit your exact needs and desires; or you can choose from a list of over a dozen of our favorite tours! Whether you want waterfalls, caves, mountain peaks, rivers, lakes, valleys, forests, single track trail or paved bike trails, we have it all! Tours include rentals, transportation from lodging, and lunch options. We also offer sightseeing tours in the Salt Lake City and Park City areas and all our tours are private!

We also offer excursions and/or transportation for corporate groups, weddings and team building groups.

An Exclusive Excursion

PRA is a global business event management firm that delivers unique experiences that move hearts, minds and businesses forward. At PRA, we embrace challenge. You can count on us to deliver integrated solutions and services that make your strategic business events and programs extraordinary, time and time again. Anywhere.

PRA Utah, is an authentic and trusted destination management partner for programs throughout the mountain west, including Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah. With over 80 years of experience, PRA Utah's team of local experts leverage their relationships to maximize your destination experience. From small meetings to full service incentive programs and national sales meetings, our professional staff partner with you from concept to completion. Some of our key services include:

[Activities & Tours](https://pra.com/our-work/)

As an “urban-mountain” destination, Salt Lake City offers a variety of year-round recreation and tours. Weather your guests are interested in skiing, mountain biking, hiking, or are looking for a relaxed sightseeing tour, PRA will customize an authentic destination experience for your guests.

[Transportation Management](https://pra.com/our-work/)

From airport transfers, to around town shuttles, and everything in between, let us use our local logistical superpowers to make this complex element of your program a resounding success.

[Production Services & Event Design](https://pra.com/our-work/)

Whether you need basic design services, or want to completely transform the look of a ballroom, we can do it all. Our design services team will work on innovative concepts, event design, and an execution plan that will elevate your event engagement.

[Dine Around Facilitation](https://pra.com/our-work/)

PRA has true, "born and raised" local expertise and connections at all the dining hot spots around the city. Salt Lake City offers a variety of quality restaurants and we specifically pick only the best for your group.

[Entertainment](https://pra.com/our-work/)

From local performers for background music, to national acts with all the star value, we have experience finding the right entertainment for your needs.

[Professional Staff](https://pra.com/our-work/)

Our staff are the best. Local, knowledgeable, friendly and prepared to do what it takes behind the scenes to make you look like a hero.

[Off-Site Events (Venue Selection & Logistics)](https://pra.com/our-work/)

With so many choices from formal to casual, historical and uniquely Utah you need someone with the knowledge and the contacts on your team to cut through the also ran’s and give you the winners. Allow us to help you make the best decision for your group.

[Team Building](https://pra.com/our-work/)

Groups today are looking for energizing options to build unity and encourage a sense of team. From formal team building to informal team bonding, let us help you identify the experience that will make the biggest impact on your mission.

Interested in visiting [Salt Lake City](https://pra.com/allied-portfolio/salt-lake-city/?portfolioCats=120)? Let us help you. [Contact us](mailto:Kellie.Walker@pra.com) today!

PRA Events Inc.

Serving Utah since 1999, we are Utah's largest luxury transportation fleet. We are the preferred transportation provider for some of Utah's premier hotels and resorts including Montage Deer Valley, Stein Eriksen Lodge, St. Regis Deer Valley, Waldorf Astoria Park City, The Grand America Hotel. Our services include airport shuttles, corporate events, weddings, and hourly transports. We can accommodate up to 500 passengers. We look forward to providing you our elevated luxury transportation!

Snow Country Limousine

Eco-Friendly, open air street festival and community forum. Every Sunday, June 5th - September 18th from 10am - 5pm. Located on Park City's Historic Main Street. Live music, farmers' market, unique vendors, beer garden, Bloody Mary bar, kids activities, local produce, sustainable issues, gourmet food, non-profits, art & much more! Admission is free.

Park Silly Sunday Market

The Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail is a 28-mile non-motorized trail. One end of the trail begins in Park City and follows Interstate 80 through Wanship and Coalville to Echo Reservoir, the other end of the trail. Activities include hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, jogging, Nordic skiing and wildlife watching. The Rail Trail is managed by the Mountain Trails Foundation.

Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail

All photos by Outdoor Project Contributor, Brant Hansen

| **Pros:** Huge vistas. Shady. Cool in summer. Fast. **Cons:** Busy. **Congestion:** Moderate **Preferable Season(s):** Summer, Fall **Day-Use/Parking Pass Required:** General Day Use Fee ($3.00) **Dogs allowed?:** No | **Total Distance:** 6.00 mi (9.66 km) **Terrain Difficulty:** GREEN **Trailhead Elev.:** 8,239 ft (2,511 m) **Net Elev. Gain:** 1,271 ft (387 m) **Trail Uses:** Hiking, Biking **Trail type:** There-and-back |
| --- | --- |

This trail gives you a pleasant and incredibly scenic climb through 3.5 miles of aspen groves, sprawling meadows, and thick pine forests. All this eventually leads you to Desolation Lake itself, a picturesque high-altitude lake. It’s the perfect, tranquil resting spot. From there, it’s a short climb up to the Wasatch Crest Trail that joins in just below the Spine. If you choose to ride to Desolation Lake as an out-and-back, you’re in for a fast and flowy descent. The trail twists and dives, throwing you through the same forests you just climbed through.

Desolation Lake Mountain Bike Ride

All photos by Outdoor Project Contributor, Brant Hansen

| **Pros:** Views, fast, beautiful **Cons:**Busy **Congestion:** Moderate **Preferable Season(s):** Summer, Fall **Day-Use/Parking Pass Required:** General Day Use Fee ($3.00) **Dogs allowed?:** Yes | **Total Distance:** 6.00 mi (9.66 km) **Terrain Difficulty:** GREEN **Trailhead Elev.:** 7,645 ft (2,330 m) **Net Elev. Gain:** 1,157 ft (353 m) **Trail Uses:** Hiking, Biking **Trail type:** There-and-back |
| --- | --- |

The Dog Lake mountain bike ride usually begins at the Great Western Trail trailhead in Mill Creek Canyon. The lake itself is picturesque and surrounded by a massive aspen grove. Dogs are allowed on the trail and up to the lake, but they must be leashed on even numbered dates. Likewise, bikes are only allowed on the upper Mill Creek Canyon trails on even days. The biggest benefit of Dog Lake is the epic scenery. You’ll get stunning mountain views and broad vistas. You’ll ride through thickly wooded forests filled with aspens, cottonwood, and towering pines.

Dog Lake Mountain Bike Ride: Great Western Trail to Big Water Trail

This moderate out-and-back hike is popular, and for good reason. Takes you up a well-shaded trail to a beautiful small lake from the Millcreek Canyon side of the mountain.

This is an excellent medium difficulty hike that will appeal to most levels of hikers. Beautiful views, trees that shade most of the trail, and a small but picnic-worthy lake at the top all contribute to one of the most pleasant hikes in Millcreek Canyon. While the 1,300+ feet in elevation gain is not insignificant, the trail is never overly steep. The lake can also be accessed via the Big Cottonwood Canyon side of the mountain, but the Millcreek side is the only one of the two trails that allows dogs. Dog Lake itself is in the middle of a forested part of the mountain.

**Local's recommendation:** An excellent spring, summer, or fall hike. Dogs are allowed; they must be kept on-leash on even days, and can be off-leash on odd days.

**Difficulty:** Moderate - based on overall elevation gain

**Highest point:** 8793 ft

**Lowest point:** 7474 ft

**Best time of year:** Spring, Summer, Fall

**Safety information:** Mountain bikes are also allowed on this trail on even days, so if hiking, watch for bikes on the trail. As with any trail in the foothills, watch for rattlesnakes, especially in summer months. Wear closed-toed shoes when hiking, be aware of your surroundings, and always look carefully before placing hands or feet. Be sure to stay hydrated - even with the shade cover on the trail, it can get very warm.

**Roadbook**

From the parking lot at the top of Millcreek Canyon, take the Little Big Water Trailhead up the mountain, and follow the signs for Dog Lake.

- Start point - Lower Big Water Trailhead, Mill Creek Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84109 - 0 mi
- Lowest point, 7474 ft - 0 mi
- Highest point, 8793 ft - 3.8 mi
- Dog Lake - Destination - 6.9 mi

**How to Get There**

**Public transport:** Bus routes do not travel up to this trailhead - best access is by car.

**Parking:** There is a small parking lot at the trailhead, and parking on the road. If parking on the road is required, there is a trail that parallels the road on the south side that joins up with the trailhead.

Dog Lake via Big Water Trail

Visit Salt Lake

Salt Lake is the place where the Wasatch mountain peaks frame city streets. Sure, Salt Lake's famed for our winter powder ([four legendary ski resorts](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/skiing-snowboarding/) just 30 minutes from downtown), but that's just one season's story. Summer brings families [hiking through wildflower meadows](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/) before cooling off at a Jazz game or the Gateway fountains. Autumn paints our mountain canyons in gold, perfect for morning strolls that end at local coffee shops. Spring? That's when you might spot baby bison on Antelope Island before heading to the Eccles Theater for a Broadway show. Our soaring Wasatch Mountains rise dramatically from downtown Salt Lake, creating a place where every day offers both natural wonders and urban energy. And while we sit perfectly between the [national parks](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/state-national-parks/) with Yellowstone's geysers and Utah's red rock country, the real magic happens right here, where everyone can [discover the history](https://www.visitsaltlake.com/plan-your-visit/about-salt-lake/) of the city as they find their own rhythm between mountain adventure and city life.

Sports Salt Lake

What happens when books become the center of public controversy- and what do we lose when stories are removed from shelves? Join bestselling author Jennifer Nielsen and librarian and freedom-to-read advocate Rebekah Cummings for a timely conversation about books, censorship, and intellectual freedom. Drawing on their experiences as an author and an advocate, Nielsen and Cummings will explore why stories matter, what the current wave of book challenges in Utah means for authors, libraries, schools, and young readers, and why the freedom to read remains essential. The evening will include plenty of time for conversation and audience questions.This calendar listing is brought to you by NowPlayingUtah.com, Utah's one-stop, online website for arts and entertainment events, powered by the Utah Cultural Alliance.

Why Stories Matter: A Conversation on Books, Censorship, and the Freedom to Read with Rebekah Cummings and Jennifer Nielsen

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