Take the Georgefest 3-minute Survey

This June, southern Utah's favorite nightlife event will celebrate its second anniversary. Already, with more than 20 events under its belt, Georgefest has become a fixture of community culture featuring artists and musicians each month. You can help determine the growth and direction of Georgefest at Historic Downtown St. George by taking this survey and weighing in with your ideas and suggestions.

The Anatomy of George

How history inspired this event icon: 

The original 2014 concept sketch for George, the
icon of southern Utah's first Friday event, Georgefest.

Did you know that the Georgefest icon was created with southern Utah history in mind?

That's right, the BOWLER HAT is inspired by the many settlers arriving in the region during the late 1800s. Then considered the cowboy hat of the West, the bowler was particularly popular for its ability to fit snugly for those traveling by horseback, wagon, or train.

The BOW TIE represents the honor and pride exhibited by settlers who often dressed in their Sunday best when working to establish both the economy and industry of St. George City, a municipality established Jan. 17, 1862.

Thomas Judd's unruly mustache
inspired the crooked image in the logo.

The George MUSTACHE derives from the iconic and unruly mustache worn by an industrious entrepreneur and southern Utah settler from Birkshire, England: Thomas Judd. Thomas was founder of Judd's Store still located on Tabernacle Street at Historic Downtown St. George.

Event creator Melynda Thorpe was producing a documentary film about the history of southern Utah at the time she began designing Georgefest. With so much beauty, and so many types of activities to enjoy during the daytime, southern Utah was known for lacking in the area of consistent nightlife, so Thorpe accepted the challenge by members of the Historic Downtown Merchants group to design a nighttime community event.

"I was impressed to learn how early settlers would gather at the center of town to sing and dance and enjoy food together in the evenings," she said. "I felt a strong inclination that if we returned to a similar type of community gathering, we might just discover something special about ourselves."

This photo depicting a group of well-dressed workers
on the foundation walls of Dixie Academy caught the
attention of Georgefest founder Melynda Thorpe as
she was developing plans for the first Friday the event.

Inspired by photo found in the archives of local photographer and historian Lynn Clark, Thorpe drew a concept sketch that would serve as the simple beginnings of Georgefest. Today, the first Friday nightlife event that has grown to accommodate thousands of participants each month between 6 p.m. and midnight at Historic Downtown St. George. And after 24 consecutive events, Thorpe claims the magic of Georgefest is found in its ties to community history, and its dedication to providing the community an opportunity and reason to gather one night each month "to celebrate who we are," she said.

Why is the event called Georgefest? Thorpe said it is a given. Local legend credits the town's name to Mormon apostle George Albert Smith. During the community's settlement at the direction of Mormon prophet Brigham Young, Smith urged the community to eat raw, unpeeled potatoes to cure scurvy and was thus dubbed "the potato saint."

"George was our local saint," Thorpe said. "He brings out the best in all of us!"

Attend a Georgefest at St. George City's Historic Downtown, and you are likely to see a bowler hat or two as event attendees regularly enjoy dressing up as the lovable George. He's the event icon that has become somewhat of a mascot of the community. (Play video below.)

For more information about Georgefest, visit the event website. 

Georgefest to Celebrate Luck O' the Irish March 3 - Get Your Green On!

Dick Earl of Dick Earl's Electric Witness
belts the blues at Main Stage March 2016

Historic Downtown St. George will be sporting green, Friday, March 3, when Georgefest celebrates its “St. Paddy’s Spring Fling.” A nod in equal parts to St. Patrick’s Day and the imminent arrival of springtime, the monthly nightlife event will mark the start of St. George’s most idyllic months for sunshine and outdoor entertainment.

Salt Lake City’s electrifying Andrew Goldring band is sure to deliver when they take Main Stage at 8 p.m. At the Georgefest Jazz Garden, presented by The Desert Pulse, scorching blues will meet ferocious funk when Dick Earl’s Electric Witness teams up with Soul What?! Two of southern Utah’s most revered bands will churn out high-energy, danceable tunes for adults 21 and over. Perennial favorites Soul What?! will be joined by journeyman blues-harpist Dick Earl and his Electric Witness band for an evening of funky, blues-infused covers and original music.

Alice Erickson of Soul What performs
at Main Stage Dec. 2015

Comprised of powerhouse vocalist Alice Ericksen (Earl’s wife), guitarists Michael Moulton and Elaine Stoddard, and drummer Chris Flaig, Soul What?! has been performing together since first meeting at a local blues jam in 2012. Featuring beloved classics from their soul influencers (including Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Aretha), the band’s set list honors younger performers as well. All four members of the group are accomplished musicians who bring decades of experience to the project, drawing appreciative crowds throughout southern Utah.

Georgefest is southern Utah's favorite nightlife event
held every first Friday at Historic Downtown

Dick Earl’s raw, growling vocals and goose-bump-raising assault on the harmonica have been devoured by audiences from New York to Las Vegas. He has opened for such artists as Billy Currington, Firehouse, Janet Robin, and Creedence Clearwater Revisited, and is frequently tapped by performers to add his musical magic to their studio projects. When not touring as a solo act or with Electric Witness, he makes regular appearances at schools across the country to share his passion for music. He and Alice also own The Academy, an after-school program for youths wishing to acquire music performance skills.

Members of The Academy perform with
Dick Earl's Electric Witness at Georgefest March 2016

Along with outstanding entertainment, the Jazz Garden will offer its usual assortment of artisan tapas prepared by Sego Restaurant in Kanab, as well as craft brews from Wasatch Brewery and Squatters, and premium wines from Cedar City’s Iron Gate Winery. The Georgefest Jazz Garden is located in Green Gate Village on Tabernacle Street, next door to One Hot Grill.

Georgefest, a nightlife event designed to celebrate the best of southern Utah, is held on the first Friday of every month from 6-10 p.m., with the Jazz Garden open until midnight April–October. The event is sponsored by the City of St. George, St. George Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Canyon Media, St. George News, Etched Magazine, The Independent, The Desert Pulse, Iron Gate Winery and Wasatch Brewery.

For more information, or to become a vendor, visit georgestreetfest.com, or email info@georgestreetfest.com. Georgefest organizers are now accepting applications for street market vendors, buskers, and food vendors.

Photos by Nick Adams, courtesy Emceesquare Media. 

Kissing Winter Weather Goodbye, Indie Rock Bands Return to Main Stage March 3

When the electrifying Andrew Goldring band takes the stage March 3, spring will have sprung in southern Utah. And while Georgefest diehards danced to the beat of the DJ drum through Georgefest winter months, first Friday nightlife crowds are ready to rock with original sounds of indie performers under southern Utah's warm summer skies.

The Andrew Goldring band of Salt Lake City leads out the springtime
lineup for Georgefest's free first Friday Main Stage concert series March 3.
Photo by Ryan Jorgensen Photography

March 3 features Salt Lake City indie rock band, Andrew Goldring. A fixture in the Utah music scene for many years, Andrew has been part of notable acts including Golden Sun, Sleeping Giant, and All Get Out. Andrew has released several solo albums, and recently announced his next featuring the single, "Cosmic Dance." The album is scheduled to drop Feb. 24, and his products will be available March 3 at The George Store merch tent near Main Stage. Andrew is owner and operator at The Sound Cave music studio in Salt Lake City.

Opening on Main Stage is Telestial, southern
Utah's newest indie rock band sensation.
Photo by Shane Ivy Stewart

Opening for Andrew Goldring is southern Utah's own rising indie rock sensation, Telestial. Recently featured as cover story for the "Where It's At" section of The Spectrum and Daily News, writer Emily Havens described the band stating, "Telestial's sound has less abandon than one might find in a stereotypical hardcore project. It's reminiscent of hardcore punk and strongly resembles noise rock."

Featuring artists Richard Curl and Jade Whitlock, "Telestial is nearly everything we need from community bands," Havens wrote.

Ryan Groskreutz, Georgefest talent booking agent, believes Georgefest's commitment to featuring indie rock artists is a critical element of the event's appeal. "We are always working to bring the best up-and-coming bands and artists to Georgefest," he said. "This has been a big part of what makes the event interesting and worth coming out for."

According to Georgefest founder and executive director Melynda Thorpe, warm spring temperatures offer a welcome return to Main Stage bands. Because cold temperatures make it difficult for bands and their instruments to perform through the winter, Thorpe says, "we have to get creative about our stage talent," she said. DJ dance parties, choirs and vocal groups dominate the stage from December to February, "so we all get excited to welcome the return of indie rock bands with the first signs of spring."

Georgefest is a first Friday nightlife event designed to celebrate the best of southern Utah artists, entertainers and musicians. The event offers a free Main Street concert at the intersection of Main and St. George Blvd. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue through 10 p.m. The event's Jazz Garden venue presented by The Desert Pulse offers live music until midnight and is open to adults 21 and over at Green Gate Village on Tabernacle Street. Additional event features include a street market, Food Truck Village, and buskers performing for tips.

Follow the searchlight to Historic Downtown every first Friday night. This kind of fun is good for you. More info at georgestreetfest.com. Follow Telestial on Facebook.