THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR AUG 8 - 14 

Osher Foundation 20th Anniversary Open House
You're never too old to learn, businessman Bernard Osher thought, when he established a national learning institution network for people "age 50 and better." Utahn Fred Esplin's friendship with Osher Foundation President Mary Bitterman helped launch the program at the University of Utah 20 years ago, when Utah's Osher classes included 100 students—people over 50 taking various Lifelong Learning classes. Today, 1,600 lifelong-learning students study everything from Dungeons and Dragons to Kayaking on Whitewater.

"At the University of Utah, we enjoy one of the largest and fastest growing Osher institutes in the country," says director Jill Meyer. "Osher changes lives every day by offering more than continuing education courses. For four terms, we also offer classes, tours and field trips annually." She adds, "We serve individuals as far north as Logan, as far south as Lehi, as young as 50, and as old as 99. We host and nurture a community of curious adults who value education highly." And if you're not 50 yet, there are still ways to participate—anyone can register online for Lunch and Learn to hear Zoom talks from local celebrities such as Matt Gephardt, Sterling Poulson, Rod Decker and Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. Meyer says that lifelong learning can improve mental health, add variation and excitement to life, build a more extensive network, and make yourself essential in an ever-changing world.

Osher celebrates its anniversary with an Open House event at the Red Butte Garden Orangerie (300 Wakara Way) on Aug. 8, 10 a.m. – noon. Admission is free for those over 50. Visit continue.utah.edu/osher. (Carolyn Campbell)

Craft Lake City DIY Festival
The quarantine months of the COVID pandemic didn't turn people into creators—but maybe it unleashed the creator that was already inside so many people, that they didn't previously have time to explore or express. Combine that with an internet era that allowed people to monetize their creativity without as many financial barriers to entry, and you've had an explosion in the DIY marketplace.

Craft Lake City, however, has been well ahead of that curve, as it now celebrates the 16th year of its annual DIY Festival. The centerpiece remains the vendor marketplace, with more than 500 participants offering their artisan handiwork, food products, upcycled vintage products, STEM maker creations and more, serving the organization's mission of supporting small businesses and creators while offering inspiration to attendees who might want to become creators themselves. The Google Fiber STEM Building provides hands-on creative experiences, as does the kids' area and other DIY stations. Music and dance performances come to two stages and busking locations throughout the festival, plus headliner performances including Kacy Hill, Talia Keys & The Love and Tolchock Trio.

The 2024 Craft Lake City DIY Festival comes to the Utah State Fairpark (155 N. 1000 West) Aug. 9 (5 – 10 p.m.), 10 (noon – 10 p.m.) & 11 (noon – 6 p.m.). Individual day tickets are $13 through Aug. 8, $15 weekend of festival. "Dog tickets" are also available for the pet-friendly event (complete with "dog oasis"), with VIP tickets available for Friday only. Visit craftlakecity.com for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

Amanda Bellows: Rewriting the West
Most of us in America grew up, as a result of school history lessons, with a concept of "exploration" that was overwhelmingly White and male. But as has often proven to be the case, the reality is more complicated—and far more diverse—than the few names like "Lewis & Clark" or "Daniel Boone" that we can cite from memory. And historian Amanda Bellows has dedicated herself to bringing that reality to light.

In her 2024 book The Explorers: A New History of America in Ten Expeditions, Bellows charts a course through reframing the archetype of American exploration. Some of those stories might be slightly more familiar, like that of astronaut Sally Ride or aviator Amelia Earhart, though the extent of the obstacles they faced might still be surprising. There are also names much more often lost to history, like born-into-slavery James Beckwourth who was one of the pioneers of the California Gold Rush, or Matthew Henson, the Black man who might have been the actual first person to reach the North Pole. It's a tale that spans continents and centuries to bring a fuller perspective to the act of going where no one has gone before

Bellows shares some of these stories and more, in conversation with University of Utah history faculty member Julie Ault, for the presentation Rewriting the West at The King's English Bookshop (1511 S. 1500 East) on Friday, Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. The in-person event is free and open to the public, but registration is required via Eventbrite. Visit kingsenglish.com for registration and additional event information. (SR)

C.S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up & Further In
C.S. Lewis is one of the most compelling literary figures of the 20th century. The Irish-born author's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia has enchanted young readers for more than 70 years, yet he also spent much of his writing career addressing the subject of faith and belief following his return to Christianity after time as an atheist as a young man. Those "apologetics" were far more compelling than mere polemics—and they form the foundation for the one-man theatrical presentation created by writer/performer Max McLean in C.S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up & Further In.

The 90-minute show uses Lewis' own words to investigate his years spent in defense of Christian belief. It finds McLean's Lewis addressing the audience, touching on subjects including the wartime-era BBC radio talks that brought his views to the country, the effect of Nazism and Adolf Hitler on the creation of his epistolary novel The Screwtape Letters and the influence of his beliefs on the creation of The Chronicles of Narnia. And it does so while offering up the wit that characterized Lewis's voice as a writer. "I didn't go into religion to make me happy," McLean's Lewis shares at one point; "I always knew a bottle of port could do that."

The touring production of C.S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up & Further In visits the J.Q. Lawson Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South) on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. Currently available tickets are $65 - $99; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)