Despite a weekend of weather challenges, Chalk the Night brought thousands of people to Utah City on Saturday, September 19 for an evening of art, music and a first-of-its-kind experience.
On Friday, the first night of the event was canceled due to weather. On Saturday, more than 2,500 people came out to experience neon chalk murals illuminated under UV light.
Chalk the Night officially became the first glow-in-the-dark chalk art festival in the nation, according to Summerisa Bell Stevens, president of the Harrington Center, which partnered with Utah City to bring the festival to the community.
“The weather that weekend was relentless,” Stevens said. “Our incredible artists had to restart their pieces three different times, and our exhausted staff essentially set up the festival three days in a row as we adapted, rebuilt, moved equipment, protected artwork and tried again.”
The festival required extensive preparation and testing to safely use the specialized UV lighting that made the chalk artwork glow after dark.
“There were definitely moments when we wondered if we could pull it off,” Stevens said. “But we did. Utah City glowed!”
Jacklyn Briggs, director of marketing at Utah City, said the response from the community made the effort worthwhile.
“Seeing so many people come together to experience something completely new was incredibly rewarding,” Briggs said. “The creativity of the artists, the energy of the crowd and the unique setting at Utah City made Saturday night a truly special experience.”
More than 20 artists contributed their talents to the festival, with artwork ranging from frogs, snails and sea creatures to portraits and recognizable characters.
In addition to the chalk pieces, the festival was made even more enjoyable with food trucks, interactive art activities, and a silent disco.
The event’s turnout gave Chalk the Night a memorable debut at Utah City, introducing Vineyard residents and visitors to an art festival unlike anything they had experienced before.
Artists included Amanda Crabb, Annie Farley, Brittany Shepler, Camille Grimshaw, Erin Grimshaw, Grace Parker, Jenn D’Haenens, Jessica Grover, Kat Bowen, Katie Day Howard, Lexie Daley, Liv and Mag Nielsen, Makenzie Crump, Nicole Kleinman, Rachel Colton, Sara Nybo, Sarah Allred, Savannah Ottley, Scott Stanley, Taylor Larson, Tristan Valdez and Whitney Perkins.
