Author: cnguyen

Thursday, May 4, may be dedicated to “Star Wars” fans, but at University Place in Orem the Force will be sticking around for a grand celebration on Saturday.

The Star Wars Celebration begins at 7 p.m. at the Orchard Park on the north side of the University Place campus. Families and individuals are welcome to come and meet characters from the series. Kids will get to make their own (foam) lightsaber, attend Jedi training and attack a “Death Star” target.

A free screening of “Star Wars IV: A New Hope” will start around 8:30 p.m. A blue milk and popcorn combo will be for sale by University Place’s Chat Chat Boba. The Star Wars Celebration will begin a summer full of free activities at the Orchard including:

• Utah County STEM Festival from 5-8 p.m. on June 1. Bring the family to learn about science, technology, engineering and math. There will be hands-on activities and experiments.
• Orem Chorale Spring Concert from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on June 2. Enjoy a night of music from Orem’s adult choral group.
• African Heritage Festival from 2-8 p.m. on June 3. A yearly tradition at University Place, the African Festival always kicks off with a parade around The Orchard, followed by live performances, food and vendors. This event is hosted by the Ngoma Y’ Africa Cultural Center of Provo.
• Oremfest — Orem Summer Night’s Dream at 7 p.m. on June 7. University Place hosts the storytelling portion of the festival in The Orchard. Bring a blanket or chair and listen to live music and storytelling by Sam Payne.
• Family Fun Night: Luau from 7-9 p.m. on June 12. Experience Pacific Island traditions and culture during this month’s Family Fun Night. Food will be available for purchase, lawn games will be available, or just sit back and be entertained by multiple performances.
• Guys Night Out from 6-8 p.m. on June 15. An evening of fun for the entire family dedicated to the guys. There will be a mechanical bull, rock wall, axe throwing and more.
• Outdoor Movie Nights starting at 8:30 p.m. on June 23, July 7, July 21, Aug. 4 and Aug. 18. Bring a blanket and/or chair to get your spot. The summer movies include “The Sandlot,” “A Knights Tale,” “The Lion King,” “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” and “Sonic the Hedgehog.”
• American Folk Ensemble from 6-8 p.m. on June 24. As part of the Freedom Festival, the American Folk Ensemble (formerly Clog America) will perform American folk style music and dancing.
• Outdoor Concerts 6-8 p.m. on June 30, July 14, July 28 and Aug. 11. Every other Friday starting on June 30, local bands sing both popular covers and original music. Bands include Flashback Brothers, 180 North and RALLY.
• European Cultural Festival, formerly Renaissance Day, from 6-9 p.m. on July 8. This summer’s European Cultural Festival will celebrate the food and culture from various regions of Europe, knights in full armor and live entertainment.
• Family Fun Night: Red, White & Blue from 6-8 p.m. on July 10. Food, fun and free entertainment for the entire family to celebrate America.
• Viva Peru Dance Festival from 1-9:30 p.m. on July 15. Come and experience the culture of Peru, with traditional food, dance and crafts. This event is hosted by Viva Peru Dance.
• Juniper Market will be held July 22 and Aug. 12. Come and shop for locally made, handcrafted jewelry, art, clothing, baked goods and more.
• Pioneer Day Celebration & Fireworks from 5-9:45 p.m. on July 24. There will be live music all evening, vendors, giveaways and friendly competition during a pie eating contest and stick-pull up contest. This year’s performers will be Michael Barrow & the Tourists and party band No Limits. The grand finale is a choreographed firework show with music.
• World Folkfest Community Dance from 6-9 p.m. on Aug. 1. An extension of the World Folkfest, hosted in neighboring Springville, come and enjoy performing groups from around the world as they perform traditional dances.
• Family Fun Night: Retro Night from 6-8 p.m. on Aug. 14. For the last Family Fun Night of the 2023 season, bring the family and step back in time with music from the 80s and 90s.
• Bolivian Festival from 3-9 p.m. on Aug. 26. Come and enjoy a parade celebrating Central and South American culture, along with other live performances, vendors and food.

All events are subject to change and weather.

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OREM, Utah — To commemorate the grand opening of another location in Utah, one restaurant is offering free chicken wings for a year to certain wing superfans.

The first 100 people in line at the new Buffalo Wild Wings opening in Orem will win the grand prize and have all their chicken wing cravings fulfilled (at least, for one year).

To secure a place in line, go to the new location at 575 E University Parkway, Suite B28.

The grand opening will be hosted on Monday, May 1, but who knows how long you’ll need to wait in line to get one of the coveted 100 prizes.

Regular hours will be Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m.—1 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.—12 a.m.

Known for its wings and sporty atmosphere, BWW hopes to attract sports fans with stadium-like A/V technologies with wall-to-wall LED modular screens to watch games in style.

“Buffalo Wild Wings is all about creating legendary experiences between friends, and we want this restaurant to continue that mission by providing the greatest of all time, in every aspect,” said John Bowie, President, Buffalo Wild Wings.

Buffalo Wild Wings is the largest sports bar in the world with 1,300 locations in eight global markets.

Read full article here.

OREM, Utah (ABC4) – Orem fans of wings will now have a Buffalo Wild Wings a little closer to home with a new location opening at the start of May. Wing lovers will even have a chance to snag free wings for a year.

The new Buffalo Wild Wings will officially open its doors on Monday, May 1, and will be located at 575 East University Parkway, right between Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University. The location will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.

As part of its opening week for the new location, Buffalo Wild Wings will be giving the first 100 people in line free wings for a year.

The Orem location will be the 11th Utah Buffalo Wild Wings, with other locations in St. Geoge, Lehi, Salt Lake City, Sandy, and Layton. Buffalo Wild Wings reportedly has over 1,300 restaurants worldwide.

The new location will feature a bar and a dining room as well as two sets of LED modular TV screens for sports and entertainment, according to the press release. The company said in a statement that the location will also feature a “B-Dubs After Dark” lineup starting at 9 p.m. that includes bar food specials.

Read full article here.

McKell Moeller with Utah Family Faves joined us with three activities for your family this spring.

1. Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival. Part of it is open now, but tulips won’t be fully bloomed this year until the last week of April.
2. Baby Animals. McKell says there are many places around Utah where kids can pet and even hold different animals.
3. Funbox. This is the world’s biggest bounce house located outside of University Mall in Orem. It’s 25,000 square feet of fun! You can go afternoons Monday-Friday and all day on Saturday and Sunday.

You can find more information @utahfamilyfaves on Instagram.

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FunBox, a popular traveling bounce park, opens for a 3-month stay in Orem on April 7.

The new Orem location will feature “25,000 sq. ft. of continuous jumping zones connecting ten different play areas,” the FunBox website says. The park will include obstacle courses, slides, a ninja wall and a mountain challenge.

Thousands of families and several celebrities have visited the park in its other locations, including Kevin Hart, the Kardashians and Ryan Seacrest.

Antonio Nieves co-founded FunBox when he was 24 and gets his inspiration from his nine younger siblings.

Nieves’ siblings have been through the foster care system, which is why FunBox is partnering with Family Haven for its opening night. A portion of every ticket sold that opening weekend will be donated to Family Haven. Family Haven is a group organized to provide therapy, abuse prevention education, a nursery and a parenting program for families in Utah.

Tickets for the opening weekend are $9 and will then rise to $22 for approximately 90-minute jumping sessions. However, toddlers from ages 0-2 and seniors over 65 enter for free when accompanied by a ticketed customer.

“We believe that every child deserves a happy childhood, and we’re committed to doing our part to make that a reality,” Nieves said.

FunBox currently has locations in California, Arizona and Utah; however, they are always expanding and rotating locations.

“I have had the opportunity to visit the Los Angeles Funbox location. Actually, the reason why I decided to move forward and buy the franchise was because of the experience that I had visiting one in person,” said Randall Henderson, a co-owner of FunBox Utah.

Riki Sanford, another co-owner of FunBox Utah, said she and her co-owners are all Utah County residents and have children ranging from two to 18.

“When we saw the opportunity to invest in FunBox, we couldn’t think of a more beautiful and family-oriented place to do it than Utah.” Sanford said.

FunBox is also hosting a college-night for guests 18 and up on April 26, from 6:30-8 p.m. The limited tickets are now available.

FunBox Orem will be located at the University Place Mall at 575 E University Pkwy, Orem, UT, 84097.

Tickets for its opening weekend can be found here.

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The big red “Light the World Giving Machines” are becoming a tradition that garners financial help and more to local and international charities.

During Tuesday’s Provo Municipal Council meeting, three local nonprofits received notification of their donations — Community Action Services and Food Bank, The Food and Care Coalition and United Way of Utah County.

Tabitha’s Way, Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Lifting Hands will be recognized at the next American Fork City Council meeting. Lifting Hands is located in American Fork, but works internationally by helping distribute assorted supplies to refugees. They are also responsible for delivering goat donations.

Locally, the giving was substantial. About $1.1 million of giving came through the Orem machines at the University Place Mall.

Thousands of Utah County residents, and even more people worldwide, will be fed, clothed and cared for this coming year because of donations made at the Orem Light the World Giving Machines this past Christmas season, according to Mark Seastrand, a member of the Orem organizing team.

Sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Giving Machines are a unique and memorable way to serve others and follow the example of Jesus Christ, who “went about doing good,” Seastrand said.

From November through December, an estimated 425,000 people in 28 cities across six countries experienced the spirit of the Giving Machine. Approximately 75,000 of those visited Orem.

“In 2022, Light the World Giving Machines were in more cities than ever. From New York to Brisbane and Guatemala to Canada, people came by the tens of thousands, with family, friends, and neighbors, to experience what only Giving Machines can provide,” Karl Cheney, program manager, said in a press release. “The Orem organizing team worked for months to ensure that all who came felt the joy of giving to others. In addition, we are grateful to the University Place Mall for their tremendous support in hosting the Orem Giving Machines.”

Donations made from the Orem machines include:

• More than 308,000 meals, 2,500 food boxes and 303 years’ supply of food were donated to feed hungry and displaced persons.
• More than 5,500 children will receive school supplies and books.
• Nearly 3,400 children and refugees will receive shoes, socks, and winter clothing.
• More than 5,700 persons will benefit from vital hygiene supplies.
• More than 1,414 goats that will provide individuals and families in need with milk and cheese.

On a recent trip to eastern Europe to meet with Giving Machine recipients, Cheney reflected on how each donation makes a dramatic impact.

“Items purchased from a Giving Machine mean everything to those receiving. No one I met desires a handout. Instead, all they seek is a hand-up, and that’s exactly what these items provide. Every recipient asked me to bring back their deep love and sincere gratitude to all. I saw how each contribution, large or small, helps individuals and families become self-sufficient and care for those they love,” Cheney said.

As part of their ongoing humanitarian efforts, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints covers all Light the World Giving Machine operational costs, meaning 100% of every donation to be used as the donor intended.

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Founded in 1919 by F. Orin Woodbury, the Woodbury Corp. has thrived through good times and hard times under the stewardship of his descendants.

On Monday, O. Randall Woodbury stepped down as CEO of the full-service real estate management and development company. After 11 years as CEO, he will now serve as vice chairman and continue as principal broker for the company. E. Taylor Woodbury was named the next CEO of the company, “The past 11 years have been an incredible experience for me,” Randy Woodbury said. “The time has come for the next step in the executive leadership transition from the third generation of Woodburys to the fourth generation.”

While the fourth generation is taking on leadership, fifth generation Woodburys are in the wings, finishing school and preparing for their turn as future leaders in the multi-billion dollar company which has its fingerprints all across Utah County.

The company’s legacy project in Orem is University Place, formerly University Mall, originally built in the early 1970s.

In recent years, the company has gone through a $500 million revitalization of the mall to provide residences, office buildings and open green space in addition to shopping options.

In the past decade, Woodbury Corp. has endured and flourished through several major milestones and highlights including celebrating the company’s centennial anniversary in 2019 and the successful inception and management of Woodbury Capital Funds — including Woodbury Strategic Partners, Woodbury Capital II, III, Legacy and Opportunity Zone Funds — comprising approximately $600 million of investor commitments.

“I am really excited to keep working with family members, both my biological and corporate family, who give so much to this business. It’s an honor to be able to work with them and carry this company into the next 100 years,” Taylor Woodbury said.

Woodbury Corp. is currently working on large-scale projects in Utah County and across northern Utah including:

• Vineyard Station, Vineyard city’s first mixed-use, transit-oriented, walkable community. Located on the eastern shore of Utah Lake, Woodbury Corp. and Flagship Homes are currently developing nearly 300 acres of master-planned new development that will offer places to live, work, shop, dine and more, with a promenade running through the center of it leading to Utah Lake.
• The continued revitalization of University Place will include a hotel, more class-A office space and approximately 1,000 additional residential units.
• Continued development of Falcon Hill National Aerospace Research Park. Falcon Hill is one of the most strategically placed aerospace research parks in the nation at Hill Air Force Base in Davis and Weber Counties. This 550- acre private development is under an Air Force Enhanced Use Lease and currently has over 1.1 million square feet of commercial space.
• Holladay Hills, the redevelopment of the former Cottonwood Mall property. Holladay Hills is a 58-acre mixed-use project, which will include living and office space, along with dining, shopping and entertainment options and a central park for gatherings.
• Continued development of the University of Utah Research Park, including 500,000 square feet of existing research building and a new 260,000 square foot state-of-the-art laboratory building.

“We aren’t afraid to tackle a 20-year project. I know I can speak for my family when I say that we are committed to sticking with projects for the long-term to partner with the state and communities to achieve long-term success. I know I have projects I’ll be working on the rest of my career,” Taylor Woodbury said. “There aren’t many businesses that have the ability to say that.”

With $4 billion in assets under management, the Woodbury portfolio includes retail, office, hotel, residential and industrial projects across 16 states.

Read full article here.