City Cast Salt Lake

Utah-based sandwich shop Even Stevens has had a rocky road of operations over the past few years. But the once beloved restaurant that rose to fame for its buy-one-give-one donation model has mysteriously shut its doors around the valley. Producer Ivana Martinez joins host Ali Vallarta to break down what happened.  Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSL...

The Utah Department of Transportation just requested $500,000 from the federal government to explore the possibility of a passenger train connecting Salt Lake to Boise. City Cast Boise lead producer Frankie Barnhill and host Emma Arnold join Salt Lake host Ali Vallarta to talk about why Boiseans are so pumped to ride the rails to SLC — and the best ideas for a long weekend in each city. This episo...

If there’s one thing you can count on the Utah Department of Transportation to do, it’s expand a highway. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to break down how turning Bangerter Highway into Bangerter Freeway could displace 241 homes in West Valley City. Plus, some residents in SLC’s Wasatch Hollow neighborhood have beef with planned speed bumps on 1300 S. And are you prepared in cas...

Large, towering apartment complexes are popping up all over Salt Lake City. But when it comes to addressing our affordable housing crisis, maybe we should be thinking a bit … smaller. That’s where “missing middle” housing comes in. Building Salt Lake editor Taylor Anderson explains to host Ali Vallarta why these types of units are missing and how they fit into our housing puzzle. Listen to “Why Ar...

What’s missing from Salt Lake’s burgeoning network of farmers markets? In part three of our Summer Entertainment Guide, Utah Farmers Market Network director Chandler Rosenberg tells host Ali Vallarta why we are short on farmers to meet the demand. Plus, she lays down the best markets in the valley, an etiquette guide, and some cool affordability programs. Find a farmers market. Farmers can apply f...

It’s been almost a year since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision protecting the right to an abortion. Since then, we’ve seen an all-out legislative effort to ban abortion in Utah. Shortly after last year’s SCOTUS decision, host Ali Vallarta hit up the bar scene in Downtown SLC to ask young Salt Lakers how they’re thinking about going out and hooking up in a post-Roe w...

The Salt Lake City Council has passed the 2024 city budget! How are they spending our money? Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to break down key programs as well as some fun line items that snuck their way in. Plus, newsletter editor Terina Ria joins to share picks of the week. Our breakdown of SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s initial budget proposal.  Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s approach t...

A decade ago, Utah had one of the highest rates of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. Now, while the rest of the country experiences an increase, the Beehive State has reversed that trend. Democratic State Sen. Jen Plumb, the founder of Utah Naloxone, tells host Ali Vallarta how we got to this point and what’s worrying her now. Find naloxone kits at Salt Lake County libraries and pharmacies across...

School’s out for the summer, which means parents have to weave a tapestry of summer entertainment to fill kids’ days. So, where to start? In Part 2 of our City Cast Summer Entertainment Guide, dad about town and City Weekly contributor Bryant Heath tells host Ali Vallarta his favorite places for family-friendly fun on the cheap. Plus, Bryant shares tips for leveraging camps to keep up with the eve...

Do wildfire smoke, vehicle emissions, and other nasty air in the valley sneak into our homes? Host Ali Vallarta asks Dr. Kerry Kelly, an air quality investigator at the University of Utah, how we can protect our very bedrooms from smog — and whether our house plants are pulling their weight! This episode first aired Aug. 4, 2022. A few of Dr. Kelly’s recommendations: How to make a DIY box air filt...

Last fall, Salt Lake City invested $6 million to help develop 400 units of permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. So far, only 94 have opened with a project called The Point at Fairpark, a converted motel run by Switchpoint Community Resource Center. Switchpoint executive director Carol Hollowell joins host Ali Vallarta to make the case for charging ahead with this type...

It’s summer travel season, and the SLC International Airport is expanding (welcome, Vessel Kitchen!). Host Ali Vallarta and lead producer Emily Means rate the airport experience. Plus, they share some good news re: flood warnings and their picks of the week. Learn more about The Christian School art installation on State Street. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagr...

Few people parade as hard as Shireen Ghorbani, so buckle in for her mascot origin story! In part one of our City Cast Summer Entertainment Guide, the former county council member and general enthusiast tells host Ali Vallarta the best parade routes in the Wasatch. Plus, the do’s and don’ts of throwing candy, and the perfect song for making an entrance. Learn more about Salt Lake City’s ambitions f...

According to the Visit Salt Lake website, there is “tons of super gay stuff going on” in our city. But how queer is Salt Lake, really? Salt Lake Tribune reporter Paighten Harkins tells host Ali Vallarta whether the data matches the vibes — and what the governor’s gear shift on the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Utahns means for our city. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram...

When was the last time you had a corn dog? From gas station parking lots to elegant food truck variations, corn dog enthusiast Sam Martinez tells host Ali Vallarta why summer’s simplest, most underrated pleasure is his new obsession. And, of course, where to find the fluffiest renditions across this valley.  Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and T...

Great Salt Lake National Park. It has a nice ring to it, right? That’s what ethnobotanist Paul Alan Cox is suggesting as an intervention to the ongoing crisis at the lake. Cox makes the case to host Ali Vallarta that it’s possible for everyone — tribal leaders, brine shrimp farmers, and even Republican lawmakers — to be represented in what could be Utah’s sixth national park.  We’re doing a survey...

Two elected officials representing Salt Lake announced their resignations this week. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to explain what happens next for the soon-to-be-vacant Salt Lake City Council and Congressional District 2 seats. Plus, Happy Pride! Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria shares her picks for any flavor of LGBTQ+ joy you want to celebrate. Learn more about Sal...

Rose Park Elementary hosted its final bike bus of the school year, where dozens of students and chaperones wheeled or walked to school together in a critical mass. Host Ali Vallarta tagged along as a guest chaperone and talked to bike bus originator Trina Perez about why it’s important to get students — and parents — out of the school drop-off line. We’re doing a survey to learn more about our lis...

Welcome to pool season, Salt Lake. Not only are pool parties fun, they also provide an important avenue for cooling off during our hot summers. Host Ali Vallarta joins lead producer Emily Means to give a rundown on the best pools to dip your toes into this season. Plus, Ali has an update on Salt Lake County’s lifeguard shortage. Learn more about tree equity in Salt Lake. Apply to be a Salt Lake Co...

People have legal rights. Should nature? Host Ali Vallarta talks with Grant Wilson, executive director of Earth Law Center, about the Rights of Nature movement and how it could help save the shrinking Great Salt Lake.  This episode originally aired on Oct. 19, 2022. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise o...

It’s Memorial Day weekend, and Salt Lake Tribune reporter Andy Larsen may have found the cheapest beer in the county! He joins host Ali Vallarta and lead producer Emily Means to make sense of the week’s top stories, including the Utah Inland Port Authority’s strange rebrand and tales from local national anthem auditions. Listen to our episode on the results of the inland port audit.  Read the 51-p...

Sure, I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream on a hot Memorial Day weekend. But what about our vegan and lactose-intolerant friends? What do they get to scream for? Producer Emily Means talks with Jill Onofrietti of The Skoop Instagram account about the best vegan ice cream options in Salt Lake. This episode originally aired on Sept. 14, 2022. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter....

competition asked Salt Lakers to submit their best ideas for the diamond and parking lot across the street. Host Ali Vallarta joins lead producer Emily Means to break down the proposals and give a temperature check on how Ballpark community members feel about them. View the finalists and vote for your favorite at BallparkNEXT.com. Winners will be announced May 31, 2023. Utah Falconz player Lacy Mi...

There’s always a need for blood donations, and with summer adventures approaching, the need is even more urgent. So while Salt Lake-based lab ARUP welcomes the news that gay and bisexual men can donate blood after a decades-long ban, that doesn’t mean a flood of the good stuff will come rushing in by Memorial Day. ARUP medical director Dr. Waseem Anani joins host Ali Vallarta — as she sits in the...

All that water Utah got this winter means we’ll have a cool, fire-free summer, right? Not necessarily. And the threat of wildfires in the West, plus low pay, makes it difficult to recruit much-needed firefighters. Former wildland firefighter Jonathon Golden joins host Ali Vallarta to give a preview of fire season and share tips for keeping you — and firefighters — safe. Subscribe to our daily morn...