THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR JUL 21 - 27 

International Quilt Festival
Quilts have always provided comfort through the years, both on a practical level and as expression of artistry. Indeed, these tapestries and tradition have been interwoven for centuries, whether the quilt is spread on a bed, serving as a statement or covering a wall as part of the decor.

That makes the first visit to Salt Lake City of the International Quilt Festival an event of special significance. The festival, which comes at Salt Palace Convention Center (100 S. West Temple), features an extraordinary array of themed quilts—more than 500 in all—of every design and description. In spotlighting this unique art form, the festival will also feature more than 150 shopping booths, 50 classes taught by exceptional artisans and an array of unique and innovative quilt creations culled from the judged art show exhibit "A Celebration of Color." For those interested in the history and heritage of the craft, the festival also includes a pair of special exhibitions—"Art Quilts" (sponsored by the group called Global Artisans) and "Pieces of the Past," a display of contemporary and antique quilts from the festival's extensive collection.

Ranked as the country's premier quilt show for the past 45 years, the festival has made it its mission to prove that quilts are cool. The event runs July 21-23, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily. Tickets are $15 per day for adults and $12 for students, seniors, children and the military. Kids ten and under can attend free. A full show pass is $35. For more information, visit quilts.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

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Craig Robinson
Anyone who names his backing band The Nasty Delicious has to be a bit askew. Likewise, when one writes a song called "Take Your Panties Off" alongside Snoop Dogg ... well, that seems to say it all.

Then again, eccentricity often accompanies versatility, and anyone who taught grades K-8 in a public school system—like Craig Robinson once did—is also bound to have an irreverent attitude. Robinson has proven that he's possessed that quality throughout every phase of his prodigious career as a comedian, actor and musician. After making his bow at the 1998 Montreal "Just For Laughs" festival, he went on to headline venues and comedy festivals across the country, both on his own and with his aforementioned awesome ensemble.

Robinson got his own comedy education in as part of Chicago's famed Second City Theatre company. However, he gained his first real taste of fame playing the part of Daryl Philbin on The Office, followed by a recurring role on Brooklyn 99 and film parts including Dolemite Is My Name, Knocked Up, This Is The End, the Hot Tub Time Machine series and Morris From America. Other TV triumphs included his aptly-named NBC sitcom Mr. Robinson, and the Fox series Ghosted.

You can catch him in person at Wiseguys Gateway (194 S. 400 West), but you best hurry. He performs Thursday, July 21 - Saturday, July 23, but at press time, all shows were sold out except for Thursday at 9:30 p.m., with tickets $45. Visit wiseguyscomedy.com for tickets and additional information. (LZ)

• Javen Tanner

The Sting & Honey Company: Sleeping Beauty's Dream
When The Sting & Honey Company premiered its beautiful production Sleeping Beauty's Dream in 2016, the venue was an auditorium at The Waterford School in Sandy. "We couldn't get any space at the [Rose Wagner Center], which is where we were doing our shows at the time," recalls Javen Tanner, the company's artistic director and the writer/director of Sleeping Beauty's Dream. "The show went well, but not many people saw it."

Now, Tanner has revived the production for its downtown debut, taking the opportunity for a bit of re-writing—the entire text is now in iambic pentameter—a "more magical" set design and the opportunity to cast familiar local actress Deena Marie Manzanares as the witch. The show also builds on the Sting & Honey Company tradition of creative interpretations of classic fairy-tale stories, including Snow White and Cinderella.

"With each of the three fairy tales that I've written, there's this mythology of the 'lost daughter,'" Tanner says. "This one deals with that most directly. Where the traditional Western European version of Sleeping Beauty is a classic and I love it, Sleeping Beauty herself isn't a really important character—she falls asleep. I thought the important thing, is what happens to her, and going into her dream."

Sleeping Beauty's Dream runs through July 30 at the Regent Street Black Box (144 Regent St.) of the Eccles Theater, with performances Thursday – Saturday at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday matinees. Tickets are $15-$25; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional information, including current health and safety protocols. (Scott Renshaw)

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Native American Celebration in the Park Powwow & Festival
Recent Supreme Court decisions impacting the basic principle of Native American sovereignty have been a reminder that the legacy of colonization still carries wounds. As challenging as it may be for many people of European descent to confront this history, it's vital for achieving healing. And it has always been important that Utah's Pioneer Day celebrations, recognizing the arrival of a specific group of white settlers to this valley, are juxtaposed in the same time frame annually with Utah's Native American Celebration in the Park Powwow & Festival, as a reminder that this was the place for many people thousands of years before Mormon settlers came.

On Saturday, July 23, from noon to 10 p.m. Liberty Park (600 E. 900 South) hosts the 28th annual powwow and festival. It is primarily a cultural celebration, with music, dance and drum offerings contributing to an overall goal of cultural preservation. Groups representing tribes throughout the country participate in the formalized dance and drum offerings, with The Horses Singers of Ft. Defiance, Arizona serving as the 2022 host drum group. The festival grounds will also feature a wide range of vendor booths, traditional food, arts & crafts presentations and plenty of kid-friendly activities, all making for an event that is as entertaining as it is informative.

At press time, the entertainment headliner is not yet set, but the evening performances will lead into a laser light presentation from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.; no fireworks are scheduled for 2022. Visit nacippowwow.wixsite.com/naciappowwow for full schedule and up-to-the moment participant updates. (SR)