City Guide 2025 

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• Courtesy photo
• Cosplayers at FanX

Geeking out in Salt Lake City
Lovers of nerd culture unite: Utah is the place for you.
By Bryan Young

Utah—and Salt Lake City in particular—often ranks at or near the top of lists of the geekiest places in the United States. It makes a lot of sense, too, with a young median age, a huge workforce in technology and an amazing breadth of nerdy offerings. Sometimes, there can be so much geeky stuff to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. That's where City Weekly is more than happy to swoop in and save the day and give you a good idea of what to expect and where to look.

As far as big events go, the sort of thing you're looking for would probably be conventions. There are actually quite a few of them.

FanX (fanxsaltlake.com) is the big one, held annually in September. It's a general pop culture con, bringing together luminaries from every medium and discipline. Past guests have included superstars like Stan Lee, Carrie Fisher, William Shatner, Chris Evans, and more.

We all want more time and space to play board games. More importantly than that, we want other people with time to play them with us and that's what SaltCON (saltcon.com) is for. It's a smaller convention than FanX, but it's laser focused on giving you space to play board games with a few thousand like-minded folks, and it's held four times a year.

For those people who are more book-minded, there are a number of conventions and conferences held in and around the city worth your time that have guests you'll want to get your geekiest books signed by. The biggest might be Dragonsteel, which is overseen by superstar fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson, always ready to sign and sell a book. The League of Utah Writers runs the annual Quills Conference (leagueofutahwriters.com), which regularly brings in luminaries ranging from Terry Brooks and Tracy Hickman to this year's Travis Baldree, the writer behind Legends and Lattes. Where Dragonsteel focuses on readers, Quills focuses on writers, so you'll find something for both halves of your geek brain.

For those looking for books and comics, there is no shortage of comic book stores in Salt Lake City and its surrounding environs. Dr. Volt's (drvolts.com) at the Gateway and Black Cat Comics (blackcat-comics.com) down in Sugar House are the two that seem to vie for that top City Weekly Best of Utah spot year after year, but that doesn't mean The Nerd Store (nerdstoreutah.com) at Valley Fair Mall is nothing to shake a stick at. For those looking for a more manga flair, there's always the Super Anime Store (superanimestore.com) in Millcreek; they have all kinds of Japanese merch and ephemera beyond that as well, catering to a totally different subset of geek.

Bookstores that cater to geeks have a place in the city as well. The Legendarium (legendariumbooks.com) is an LGBTQ+ friendly bookstore that specializes in sci-fi and fantasy. They have roleplaying game nights, a coffee bar, and are as much a welcoming community space as they are a place to buy books. They aren't the only ones, either. Under the Umbrella (undertheumbrellabookstore.com) is in the same mold. Their selection of books is much broader in terms of genre, but focuses much more narrowly on queer writers and characters. They also boast a coffee shop and community space, and are a fixture of the Rio Grande area.

For folks who want to snag board games of their own to play, Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas are drowning in them. Right downtown, Oasis Games (oasisgamesslc.com) has a generous play space and a healthy selection of board games, new and used, to sate your thirst for play. Game Night Games (gamenightgames.com), based in Sugar House, has dedicated play nights and a game library as well, with an incredibly knowledgeable staff to help you find the perfect game to bring home.

Heading further outside the city, Hastur Games (hasturgames.com), Demolition Games (facebook.com/demolitiongamesslc), The Queen's Realm (thequeensrealm.com) and more are all available for you to get your game on between instances of Salt Con. For video games, there are two locations of Quarters Arcade Bar (quartersslc.com), which is exactly as it sounds: a mecca of arcade games, new and old, and a bar to match. What more could you want?

I think we've earned that incredibly geeky reputation because I'm out of room, yet feel like I've barely scratched the surface. We didn't talk about about nerdy podcasts based here (like the Geekshow Podcast or Full of Sith or free local nerd zines (like Mystic Mind, kirincomicscontact.wixsite.com/my-site/about-1) or nerdy film events (like the ones held at Brewvies Cinema Pub (brewvies.com) and the Salt Lake Film Society (slfs.org)).

There's a lot to do here for a connoisseur of refined geek tastes. Too much to be contained in one puny little article in one puny city guide.

This is the Bruce Banner version. Next time, we'll need a Hulk.

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• New growth at Dragonfly Wellness

Weed For Every Need
Legal medical marijuana is now available to Utahns and non-Utahns alike.
By Bill Frost

After decades of enduring spirited ribbing for being an uptight state when it comes to alcohol, Utah finally has something that our northern neighbors like Idaho and Montana do not: legal access to marijuana.

Yes, that access is limited to medical marijuana cardholders, and full decriminalization likely won't happen before the Beehive State sees flying minivans. But so what? Progress is progress.

For now, medical cannabis patient cardholders, as certified by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, can only purchase marijuana products legally from 15 dispensaries across Salt Lake, Weber, Davis, Utah, Box Elder, Carbon, Cache, Iron, Summit and Washington counties. That's 10 counties out of Utah's 29—not bad, considering that the Utah Medical Cannabis Act was only passed in 2018.

Qualifying for a Utah medical cannabis patient card in order to visit one of those dispensaries isn't necessarily difficult. First, you check your eligibility by identifying a qualifying medical condition, including but not limited to chronic pain, cancer, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or HIV/AIDS (find a full list and more information at medicalcannabis.utah.gov).

Then, you consult with a qualified medical provider (QMP) who's registered with the Utah Medical Cannabis Program. Once the QMP has determined that you're a legitimate candidate for medicinal marijuana, you'll register with the Utah Department of Health's Electronic Verification System (or EVS, which can also be found at medicalcannabis.utah.gov). If everything checks out, you'll be issued a medical cannabis card.

My own story: I obtained a medical cannabis card through Utah Grown (utahgrown.co). I filled out my basic information through the site, and then made an appointment to consult with a QMP at Utah Grown's physical office (730 S. State, conveniently located across the street from SLC's Dragonfly Wellness dispensary) the next day. After the consultation, I paid the QMP's fee of $75, and received a digital medical cannabis card that I keep on my phone; renewal is $15 annually. This whole process took around 20 minutes.

Once you have your card, you'll meet with a medical cannabis pharmacist upon your first visit to a Utah dispensary. Based on your conditions and experience, the pharmacist will recommend specific cannabis products available in the dispensary. This is helpful, but if you already know what you're looking for, you're not obligated to follow the pharmacist's advice.

After your first consultation and purchase at a dispensary, the next visit is simpler. You show your Utah ID and medical cannabis card—be sure you have both with you—upon arrival, and you're then allowed in to browse and place an order. Most Utah dispensaries let you place orders online for in-store pickup, some deliver, and one even has a drive-thru window (the aforementioned Dragonfly Wellness in downtown Salt Lake City is housed in a former bank).

Legal access to medical cannabis is also available for non-Utah residents. You'll need to create a UtahID, which you'll then use to log into the Utah EVS. Pay the fee (do this before you arrive in Utah, or you may experience delays), request an activation date, and then download or print out your medical cannabis card. The card is good for 21 days, and they're only given out twice per year. Links and information at medicalcannabis.utah.gov.

Utah Medical Marijuana Pharmacy Locations

Beehive Farmacy, 1991 S. 3600 West, Salt Lake City,
BeehiveFarmacy.com

Beehive Farmacy, 870 W. 1150 South, Suite C, Brigham City,
BeehiveFarmacy.com

Bloc Pharmacy, 10392 South Jordan Gateway, South Jordan,
BlocPharmacy.com

Bloc Pharmacy, 1624 S. Convention Center Dr., St. George,
BlocPharmacy.com

Curaleaf Park City, 1351 Kearns Blvd., Suite 110-B, Park City,
Curaleaf.com

Curaleaf Provo, 222 N. Draper Lane, Provo,
Curaleaf.com

Curaleaf Lehi, 3633 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi,
Curaleaf.com

Curaleaf Payson, 757 S. 1040 West, Payson,
Curaleaf.com

Dragonfly Wellness, 711 S. State, Salt Lake City,
DragonflyWellness.com

Dragonfly Wellness, 20 E. Main, Price,
DragonflyWellness.com

The Flower Shop Ogden, 3775 S. Wall Ave., South Ogden,
TheFlowershopUSA.com

The Flower Shop Logan, 2150 N. Main, Suite 1, North Logan,
TheFlowershopUSA.com

The Forest, 484 S. 1750 West, Springville,
TheForestUtah.com

WholesomeCo Cannabis, 580 W. 100 North, Suite 1, West Bountiful,
Wholesome.co

Zion Medicinals, 301 S. Main, Cedar City,
ZionMed.com

• Courtesy photo
• Koodegras

Best CBD Retailer
1. Koodegras
Founded in 2015, Koodegras was the first CBD specialty store in Utah. They sell small-batch, artisanal, 100% THC-free CBD, and also offer "full spectrum" products. Among their 200 products are oils, tinctures, lotions, edibles, gel caps, tablets, topicals, bath bombs, patches, vaporizer cartridges and even CBD products for dogs. Reviews cite the wide variety of products, excellent quality, and friendly, helpful staff well-versed on CBD's available products and health benefits.
koodegras.com

2. Acrely Farms CBD
This women-owned venture of agricultural know-how and scientific expertise has yielded a particularly potent producer of topicals and ingestibles with a minimum of processing. Whether it's oils, balms, scrubs or salves, Acrely is one of Salt Lake City's finest sources for general wellness products. They also provide quality gift sets and stylin' merch.
acrelyfarms.com

3. Farmer & Chemist
This Midvale concern was established and is led by specialists from scientific and pharmaceutical fields with the aim of connecting customers with just the right CBD. They produce goods geared to chronic pain and sleep issues as well as gummies, salves, tinctures and pet products. So whether you or your doggo are in need of relief, chances are you'll find what you're looking for with them!
farmerandchemist.com

• Courtesy photo
• City Creek Mall in downtown Salt Lake City

Fashion du SLC
Want to support local retailers? Here's some of the best in Salt Lake shopping.
By Christa Zaro

When I moved to Salt Lake City 30 years ago, the fashion scene was "prairie meets ski bum." We had hints of fashion—from the old flagship Nordstrom on Main Street and the iconic Chalk Garden—but SLC genuinely is no longer a fashion desert. Our growing city is driven by pioneering retail shop owners, matched with strong local support. If you're visiting our majestic state, a newcomer, or a local like myself, this shopping tour could be an amazing way to experience the essence of SLC, find great fits and brighten up your personal space.

DOWNTOWN
City Creek Center (50 S. Main, shopcitycreekcenter.com) is Salt Lake's crème de la crème fashion destination, with its large, upscale open-air mall with a retractable roof garnering architectural awards. Anchored by Nordstrom and Macy's, there's a Louis Vuitton (which Jen Shah of Real Housewives allegedly loved to frequent before her federal prison stint), Free People, Psycho Bunny, Anthropologie (because you need more candles), Kendra Scott, Vuori and Acteryx. Standouts are Alo Yoga with their sleek, monochromatic leisure sets; Tacovas for legit Austin, Tex.-inspired fits and boots; and Coach Play Store, one of two in the nation where shoppers can customize their bags with straps, patches and charms. Closed on Sundays.

O.C Tanner (15 S. State, octannerjewelers.com): This famous jewelry store is housed in a Beaux Arts building with a breathtaking spiral staircase and a 26-foot chandelier with over 4,000 fiber optic stands. Watches from Patek Philippe, Rolex and Cartier. My favorite "gems" are located on the third-floor home and lifestyle department. Baccarat crystal, L'Objet frames, Reed and Barton accessories, Assouline coffee table books, luxurious throws and pottery from Italy.

Fice Gallery (160 E. 200 South, ficegallery.com): Salt Lake's first exclusive streetwear and sneaker store with limited releases from Nike, Dr. Martens, Salomon and Vans Vault. Where fashion and art collide, Fice doubles down as a venue that supports contemporary art shows, live music and collabs with local artists.

Tabula Rasa (603 E. 500 South, Trolley Square Mall, tabularasastationers.com): The finest stationary store in Utah features exquisite gift wrap, silk ribbons, note cards, art books, gifts, fragrance, picture frames and an incredible candle selection. The pens are first class. Feel like you stepped into an Italian paper store.

TopShelf (65 W. 100 South, topshelfslc.com): Downtown's sneaker gallery with access to big city releases. Nike, Jordans, Yeezy, Adidas. Extensive collection of consigned sneakers available for sale. Street cred, and they know their trade.

Nouve Home Goods (434 E. South Temple, nouve.shop): A new-to-SLC vintage and eclectic home goods store located behind the historic Mrs. Backer's Pastry Shop. Sourced daily, credenzas, lighting, couches, crystal, art. Oh, and you might see Post Malone here; he loves it too!

9TH AND 9TH
Curriculum (865 E. 900 South, curriculum.shop): Industrial men's clothing and lifestyle boutique and man, does it smell good. Small batch brands like Samuel Zelig, Beams+, Taion and Rototo from Japan. Footwear, fresh flowers, moody candles, incense, cocktail accoutrements and coffee beans.

The Stockist (875 E. 900 South, thestockistshop.com): This men's and women's apparel store gets more dynamic every year. Marine Layer, Wax London, Filson, Wrangler, Agolde. Home accessories and shoes, and the purveyor of Aesop and Ursa Major face and body products.

The Children's Hour (898 S. 900 East, childrenshourbookstore.com): You just stepped into a Parisian children's boutique where books and low-fi children's toys and stuffed animals abound. European brands like Petit Bateau, Molo, Scotch and Soda. Women's clothing and shoes too.

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• Courtesy photo
• Salt and Honey Market

Hip + Humble (1043 E. 900 South, hipandhumble.com): This woman-owned boutique started on 9th and 9th and sprouted into five locations, including one in the Salt Lake International Airport. This 25-year retail stronghold has clothing, hostess gifts, kitchen goods, sleepwear, bath products, candles, homegoods and more. You won't leave empty-handed!

Salt and Honey Market (926 E. 900 South, saltandhoneymarket.com): An homage to Utah's DIY culture featuring over 150 local artisans. Note cards, candles, jewelry, vintage clothes.

Yomie (1065 E. 900 South, IG: @yomie.shop): Credit to my teenage boys, because they told me about this Utah original ski and clothing shop. New, used, reworked and re-imagined clothes and gear.

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• Courtesy photo
• Annata Collective

MILK BLOCK
Strawberry Mansion (265 E. 900 South, IG: @strawberrymansion_slc): My favorite Philly sisters, the Bosserts, are curating the best in vintage, rare furniture and art on the daily. A mix of high and low, Navajo rugs, mid-century, Italian leather sofas, groovy lamps and treasures abound.

Annata Collective (362 E. 900 South, IG: @annata.collective): A killer vintage store for home and clothing. The owner creates scenes with her merchandise by style and color and they're so irresistible, they make me want to re-decorate. Sourced daily and new digs with lots of windows.

MAVEN DISTRICT
Koo De Ker (177 E. 900 South, koodeker.com): Feminine seasonal women's apparel in a styled boutique. Woven leather bags by Dragon Diffusion, known for an antiqued Italian St. Christopher charm sewn in. Bella! Apolis totes, Mother jeans and new brand Maison de Frederic, from owner Kyong and a homage to her villa in France.

Mineral and Matter (177 E. 900 South, Suite C, mineralandmatter.com): A jewelry store inspired by nature and outer space. Can you say "groovy?" A good place to start your shopping trip and manifest positive outcomes. Cards, specimens of rocks, crystals and quartz, journals, incense, matchbooks and fragrance.

SUGAR HOUSE
Sugar House is seemingly always under construction, but soon the neighborhood will be more walkable and biker-friendly. One thing is true, though: Sugar House loves nostalgia and vintage.

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• Courtesy photo
• Pib’s Exchange

There's Uncommon (2006 S. 900 East, uncommonslc.com), with its rows of vintage T's organized by color; Shop Vintage (1115 E. 2100 South, vintageclothingsaltlakecity.com) has you covered from the 1980s to the early 2000s; Pib's Exchange (1147 S. Ashton Ave., pibsexchange.com) is the OG in clothing thrift; and Village Vintage Interiors (2015 S. 1100 East, IG: @thevillagevintageslc) is a mart with more than 26 different vendors of throwback home goods, with Crewneck vintage located inside providing a standout for throwback clothes.

Don't miss our Patagonia outlet (2292 S. Highland Dr., patagonia.com) that locals refer to as PataGucci. Awakening Heart (1956 S. 1100 East, awakeningheartslc.com) is a metaphysical store offering psychic readings and reiki. Commerce + Craft (1950 S. 1100 East, commerceandcraft.com) is an IRL version of an Etsy homegoods store, all handmade and mostly local; this is a store led with heart and it shows. Turiya's (1569 S. 1100 East, turiyas.com) is an epic store for crystals, minerals and gemstones; their "Back from Tucson" sign is how you know it's time for a visit.

MILLCREEK
Name Droppers (3355 S. Highland Dr., shopnamedroppers.com): You might recognize this boutique and its beautiful Italian owner Tiffany Colaizzi featured on multiple episodes of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. One of the best clothing consignment boutiques in the entire country features high end and trendy fits like Chanel, Gucci, YSL, All Saints, Rag + Bone, Frame, Ulla Johnson and every freakin' designer at jaw-dropping prices. You're really sleeping if you haven't shopped Name Droppers. There's a shoe room and an outlet on Parley's.

FOOTHILL
A Line Boutique (1328 Foothill Dr., aline-online.com): We finally got a true womens fashion boutique with brands like L'Agence (my fave), Zimmermann, Closed, IRO, Ramy Brook, Isabel Marant, Veronica Beard. There's also Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop products and Victoria Beckham's sleek leather bags and belts. The customer service is impeccable ... and comes with bubbles. Get off the internet and shop here.

Katie Waltman Boutique (2108 E. 1300 South, katiewaltman.com): Headquartered in Utah, Katie Waltman's hand-crafted jewelry can be found all over the country and abroad. This boutique features all of her signature jewelry as well as a charm bar, trendy seasonal clothing and accessories.