- Bountiful Davis Art Center hosts its 50th Summerfest Friday and Saturday, showcasing global arts.
- The event features performances and crafts from Mexico, Peru, China and more.
BOUNTIFUL — The world is coming to south Davis County this weekend.
The Bountiful Davis Art Center is hosting its 50th Summerfest arts celebration, a time for visitors to witness the dances, visual art creations and various crafts from folks from Mexico, Peru, China, India, the Pacific Island region and more.
It is also an opportunity for Utah's diverse population to create art.
"People forget that we're all creative. That's what makes us human," said Sarina Ehrgott, executive director of the Bountiful Davis Art Center. "And there is enough culture here in the state of Utah that want to bring attention to that."
Summerfest
- Where: Bountiful City Park, 400 N. 200 West
- When: Friday and Saturday, Aug. 8 and 9, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Cost: Entrance is free. Cost varies for food from Food League trucks and participation in some workshops.
The art center opened 51 years ago, and shortly thereafter, officials organized Summerfest as a way to learn, celebrate and share the art of different cultures. Folk groups have sung and danced. Hindi dance groups have wowed with their movements. Mexican visual artists have taught families how to create piñatas.
This weekend, guests will see similar activities and performances, but in a different locale than in recent years. Bountiful City Park will host the 2025 Summerfest, the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
On average — at any point during a Summerfest weekend — 150 people could be seen watching performances, taking their children to the Art Yard, an area to create, or maybe eating food from different cultures due to the Food Truck League's participation in the event.
This year, Ehrgott anticipates 200 people will participate in a Summerfest program at any point in time, but in truth, the art center's focus is on getting more people connected to art and to different cultures, not on counting how many people are coming in and out of the event.
The event is free to allow everyone the opportunity to come and participate in the art celebration, Ehrgott said. Anyone can sit and watch a dance performance, and children are free to run around the Art Yard.
As Ehrgott, who is the only full-time employee at the center, says art is a human right, and as such it should be accessible to everyone.
Art is also a perfect entryway into learning about different cultures, she said. Art can be what allows someone in Bountiful, who does not have a connection with anyone from a different culture, to ease their way into learning about a new heritage or background.
In other words, everyone — every culture — creates art, as Larry Fitzpatrick, a tech expert, wrote in BBN Times when highlighting tech culture and art.
You do not need to get on a plane to gain access to the human right of artistic expression, as Ehrgott said. This weekend, you can gain access to art right here in Bountiful.
"We want people to know that you can be involved in art in many ways," Ehrgitt said. "It's about having a moment to yourself. It's about the process."
To see a schedule of Summerfest events and activities, visit www.bdac.org/summerfest.
