City Cast Salt Lake

Latest Episodes:

A Utah Drag Queen’s Guide To Pride Month 2025 Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

Host Ali Vallarta asks local drag queen Tara Lipsyncki how to spend Pride Month in Utah, from parties to family friendly shows and cheap ways to celebrate.

Resources and references:

The New Normal for All-Ages Drag Shows [City Cast Salt Lake]
The Rallying Cry for Utah Gay Rodeo [City Cast Salt Lake]

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Are You Falling For This Concert Ticket Scam? Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

Many Salt Lakers are getting ripped off when it comes to buying concert tickets. Venue professional and avid concert goer Aja Vogelman joins Ali Vallarta to break down how you can avoid getting scammed and go through ticketing basics everyone should know.

Head to shows often? Listen to the best tips and tricks for concert going.

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Starter Condos,‘Mountainhead’ Debrief, Pride Month Opportunity Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wants 35,000 new starter homes; could some of them be condos? Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means give the latest update on the housing market. Plus, "Mountainhead" movie hilarity, and shoutouts.
Resources and references:

‘We desperately need to do more’: Utah Gov. Cox convenes mayors to urge more action on housing [Utah News Dispatch]
Where Condos Fit in Salt Lake’s Housing Crisis [City Cast Salt Lake]
The ‘Mountainhead’ House [Realtor.com]

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.

Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

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Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Utah Arts Festival
Salt Lake Sewciety
Red Butte Garden
West Valley Arts
Cozy Earth - Go to cozyearth.com and use code COZYSALTLAKE for 40% off all men's apparel and more
Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.

Why Won't Utah Arrest Fugitive Ammon Bundy? Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Anti-government zealot Ammon Bundy is hiding in plain sight in southern Utah, dodging a warrant for his arrest. Host Ali Vallarta asks former journalist turned environmental advocate Kate Groetzinger why local police won't bring him in and how Bundy's extremism intersects with Utah's stance on public lands.

Read: the Salt Lake Tribune's reporting and Q&A with Ammon Bundy

Related listening: Does Utah’s Public Lands Story Hold Up? [City Cast Salt Lake]

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SLC Policing Changes? Double Decker Tour Bus, Park City HBO Movie May 30, 2025

Show notes

It's been five years since Salt Lakers hit the streets to protest police violence, and footage of a recent SLCPD shooting was released just this week. Host Ali Vallarta, executive producer Emily Means, and UVU Center for Social Impact director Cassie Bingham break down the short and long-term changes since summer 2020. Plus, we rate the city’s latest tourist attraction, great boba, and the new HBO movie filmed in Park City.

Resources and references:

5 years after George Floyd protests, Salt Lake police reform faces headwinds [KUER]
Reimagine Safety [Washington Post]
SLC's new "hop on, hop off" bus tour

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.

Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

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Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Live Crude - Get $10 off your first CRUDE purchase with promo code CITYCASTSLC.
Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.

Your Guide to June 2025 in Salt Lake May 29, 2025

Show notes

June is the official start of summer in Salt Lake City, and things are heating up. Host Ali Vallarta, producer Ivana Martinez, and Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria bring you a guide to what to expect and how to make the most of this month, from flower markets to frozen treats to a can't-miss skyline tour. Plus, if you're looking for ways to use your new state parks pass, don't miss our episode on alternatives to Utah's national parks.

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Salt Lake community.

For even more tips on how to make the most of June in Salt Lake, check out Hey Salt Lake’s take on what to do this month.

City Cast Salt Lake is made possible by our awesome sponsor, the Utah Arts Festival. We’re also powered by our members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more about how to become a member of City Cast Salt Lake.

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Check out our options.

Reach us at saltlake@citycast.fm.

Did Salt Lake Save the Wrong Bee? May 28, 2025

Show notes

The good news: We saved the honeybees. The bad news: It may have come at the expense of Utah's native pollinators. Host Ali Vallarta asks researcher Jesse Margolies to make the economic case for saving local bees and to explain how Salt Lakers can help.

This episode first aired May 20, 2024.

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A Guide to Fixing Things in Your SLC Neighborhood May 27, 2025

Show notes

Need a pothole fixed or want extra signage in your neighborhood, but don’t know where to start? Weston Clark, community outreach director for the Salt Lake City Mayor’s office, and executive producer Emily Means create a practical how-to guide to getting things done in your city.

Resources and references:

Check out the mySLC App.
Plus, who to call for even more problems in your neighborhood. [Hey Salt Lake]
Is Historic Preservation a Tool for NIMBYs or Affordability? [City Cast Salt Lake]

Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Live Crude - Get $10 off your first CRUDE purchase with promo code CITYCASTSLC.

Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.

The Julia Reagan Billboard Debate, Permanent Farmers Market, MomTok Parody May 23, 2025

Show notes

You’ve seen her billboards, but do you know her story? Salt Lake Tribune reporter Andy Larsen, socio-pop anthropologist Cassie Bingham, and executive producer Emily Means dive into Julia Reagan’s lore. Plus, a year-round farmers market, a MomTok parody, and a cinematic summer showdown.

Resources and references:

How Julia Reagan's memorial billboards became an internet sensation [Axios]

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.

Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

ICO
Live Crude - Get $10 off your first CRUDE purchase with promo code CITYCASTSLC.
Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.

What Could Go at the Old Dunkin’ Donuts on 400 South? May 22, 2025

Show notes

Salt Lake City was the fastest growing city in Utah over the past year, according to new data from the U.S. Census. So, how is it that in a city with so much life, we have dozens of vacant and boarded-up buildings? Hey Salt Lake Newsletter editor Terina Ria, producer Ivana Martinez, and executive producer Emily Means dream big about what could go in these spots instead.

Resources and references: