Heber Valley Life

Author: Dallin Koecher

  • Tourism in Heber Valley

    Tourism in Heber Valley

    Paul and Cameron Phillips are a father and son duo who own and operate Strawberry Bay Marina on Strawberry Reservoir. They represent the second and third generation of the Phillips family to run the family-owned business. Since the mid-1970s, when Paul’s father started the company, the father and son team have grown the business to serve the over 2 million visitors that come to recreate at Strawberry Reservoir each year. Today, the Phillips operate a fleet of boat rentals, guided hunting and fishing trips, a 21-room lodge, snowmobiles, and maintain four marinas on the lake. For them, running a business in the tourism industry is about sharing their love for the outdoors with their guests.

    “My father instilled a love for the outdoors in me,” said Paul. “I am an entrepreneur at heart, and we created a business around the things we love to do. I love helping our guests create memories.”

    Operating a family business that has spanned multiple generations has its tough spots, but for Cameron Phillips, Paul’s oldest son, working at the marina has become a passion that started when he was just 14 years old. “I started as a boat boy, cleaning the boats as they came in, and now I love to work with the public and help solve problems around the business,” said Cam.

    The father and son team love working together; their example seems to be contagious as a few more of Paul’s boys have decided to follow in the family’s footsteps, along with Paul’s brother, Jon, and a few of his sons. The Phillips hope is to keep the company in the family and continue giving their guests and new visitors that authentic outdoor experience.

    Before a business can become multigenerational like the Phillips’, it has to start with an idea, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for the experience. Wilderness Access Outfitters is a relatively new business in the Heber Valley tourism sphere. Bryan and Kate Silvey have just completed their fourth summer. Like the Phillips, the Silvey’s had a passion for the outdoors and took the leap to make their passion a business. Bryan said Heber Valley became the perfect location for them to start their business because of the valley’s convenient access to many outdoor experiences.

    “It took us ten years to find the perfect spot, but the Heber Valley is the perfect location with the right climate, community feel, and access to the outdoors for us to open our business,” said Bryan.

    The Silveys and the Phillips’ experiences are just two examples of the hundreds in the tourism industry working hard to share their passion. Whether it’s the outdoors, history, art, food, or any of the plethora of things that draw visitors to the Heber Valley, these business owners want to share their love for their passion with others.

    From single-person startups to large-scale hotels, all these players in the Heber Valley tourism industry add up to create a substantial positive benefit for Wasatch County residents.

    Tourism is one of Wasatch County’s major commodities. According to the Kem C. Gardner Institute, in 2018, visitor spending reached $109 million in Wasatch County. That spending generated $16.6 million in local taxes with an additional $4 million in taxes in indirect spending. This represents sales, restaurant, hotel, and other tax revenue to the cities and county. That equates to about $1800 in tax relief per household in Wasatch County.

    As an industry sector, tourism accounts for nearly nine percent of the labor force in the county. Wasatch County saw the value of tourism on our local economy this year as the COVID pandemic wreaked havoc. During the height of the economic shutdown, Wasatch County unemployment skyrocketed to 17 percent during April, more than double the unemployment rate during the recession a decade earlier. Many of those jobs were in the leisure and hospitality industry. Those were families who lost employment as visitors didn’t feel safe to travel. However, as things improved, many were able to go back to work and even had a successful summer. As of August 2020, Wasatch County’s unemployment dropped down to just over five percent, only a few percentage points above the three percent unemployment in February 2020.

    Heber Valley attracts millions of visitors every year. With a beautiful landscape and easy access to three state parks, national forest land, Strawberry Reservoir, and much more, people come from all around Utah and from across the country to visit. Between community events such as the Sheepdog Championship, Swiss Days, Cowboy Poetry, the state parks, and Strawberry, Wasatch County sees about four million visitors annually. With a population of 35,000, the community needs this visitation to help sustain the businesses, restaurants, and activities the residents enjoy. For the Silveys, Phillips, and many restaurants, most of their guests are from outside the county, which brings in new dollars to the economy.

    As the Heber Valley continues to evolve, so will tourism. This industry isn’t without its challenges. Different regions around the state are experiencing an abundance of visitors in which tourism has created congestion, infrastructure issues, and strain on resources. As more people come to experience the great outdoors, it will take collaboration, open conversations, and a strong vision to help protect what makes this place a tourism draw to avoid and mitigate these future obstacles. The future of tourism is bright, and if done correctly, Heber Valley will continue to be an exciting place for visitors and residents alike.

  • Creative Cuisine

    Creative Cuisine

    Heber Valley’s dining scene has evolved over the years from fast-food chains dominating the market to becoming a culinary destination with over 30 unique restaurants found only here. To become a food destination in the restaurant industry, chefs and owners know they have to stand out. Being creative, preparing quality food, offering a consistent experience, and creating an atmosphere where people want to be is more important than ever in this competitive field.

    There are many ways to be creative in the restaurant world. Some places like Wildfire Smokehaus incorporate famous musicians into their restaurant, like Michael Martin Murphey. Spin Café features fun sculptures that people are encouraged to touch and feel. Ryan Estel at the Old Goat talks about creativity in coming up with new menu items.

    “The more creative we are; the more interesting the dishes we make become. This keeps people interested in what’s next, and it keeps us from getting complacent,” said Estel.

    For many, eating out isn’t just about eating to be filled. It’s about having a memorable experience with family, a spouse, or friends. To that end, Vanessa Kibble at Main Street Social has recently experimented with a change in the format of their business. They have begun “The Social Experiment,” in which they highlight a different region of the world’s cuisine with about five to seven courses all in a social environment. It’s like a dinner party one might hold at home with friends.

    “We want our guests to feel comfortable; like our place is a home away from home where they can have great food and a good time with their friends, but don’t have to do the dishes,” said Kibble.

    As most know, people “eat with their eyes,” if it looks good, then it must taste good. Gary Wohlfarth of the Back 40 Ranch House feels that presentation extends from the food on the plate to the restaurant atmosphere. The atmosphere is created by combining good food, a high level of service, and an environment where people are comfortable. Wohlfarth says they have found success in balancing these aspects. Their view of the valley and the mountains doesn’t hurt either.

    Each year the Heber Valley Chamber celebrates our local flavors during their annual Restaurant Week, where local restaurants offer special pricing to encourage residents to try something new. This year Restaurant Week will be April 19 – 25 with over two dozen restaurants and eateries participating. More information about the participating restaurants and what they will be offering during the week can be found at gohebervalley.com/RestaurantWeek.

    The dining scene in Heber Valley is truly special. From creative dishes, unique experiences, and warm and inviting atmospheres, there are moments and meals that you can only get here in the Heber Valley.

    Learn more information at 475 N Main, Heber, 435-654-3666 or gohebervalley.com/restaurantweek

  • Charley Jenkins

    Charley Jenkins

    These are the things that country musician and Heber Valley resident Charley Jenkins wants his music to convey. For Jenkins, creating this type of music had to come from a real place. Home.

    Jenkins grew up not too far from the Heber Valley in the small rural town of Roosevelt, Utah. Like most folks in his town, country living was just part of everyday life. His family ran a small cattle ranch. He wrestled and rodeoed in high school and just enjoyed the charm of living in a small town.

    When it comes to writing songs about Western living, it doesn’t get much more authentic than living it. “Country is who and what I am,” says Jenkins. “It is only natural for me to sing the songs that I love to relate to.”

    As most people in the music industry can attest, staying put doesn’t always come with the territory. As his passion and talent for music grew, Jenkins found himself leaving the quiet life of Roosevelt to get an education, both formally and through the school of experience.

    During his time in college, he found that he really enjoyed singing and making people happy through song. Taking what he learned from his college courses in business, Jenkins took a leap and headed to the nation’s county music capital, Nashville, Tennessee, hoping to make music his career. There he soon realized that his education in music was just beginning.

    “My advice for anyone heading out to Nashville is to look at it as an education and not a competition,” Jenkins says. “If you go out there comparing yourself to others, you’re going to have your heart broken. There is so much talent out there.”

    He admits that he was a bit naïve heading out east, but the things he learned there helped him polish his craft and find his spot in country music. Watching and listening to the other artists taught Jenkins where he wanted his music to come from and the type of performer he wanted to be.

    Country Boy Comes Home

    After three years in Nashville, family called him back home. While he was gone, Jenkins’ dad started a battle with cancer that would eventually take his life. Jenkins left Tennessee without hesitation to come home and be with his dad and family before he passed — something he’d never regret.

    Shortly after this experience, Jenkins released an album with a song titled “Hero at Home” as a tribute to his father. The song came from a very personal place within his heart.

    “Country music is still about the lyric and the story and the reason behind it,” explains Jenkins. For him, songs like “Hero at Home” or “That Mountain,” about the people we love or the tough spots we go through, had to come from a place of experience in his life. Even songs about rodeo and country living find their inspiration from his past.

    Telling a story through music is what country is all about. “I tell my band all the time that our job is to create moments for other people,” says Jenkins. “Music, of course, is our way of doing that.”

    Life on the Road

    Music has been a vehicle for Jenkins to meet many people, build long-lasting friendships and even create memories with his kids. Over the years, he has opened for many of the biggest names in country music — names like Reba McEntire, Allan Jackson, Neal McCoy and many others.

    Jenkins and his Utah-based band travel around preforming between 50 and 60 shows every year. They mostly perform in the summer months and around Christmas time, which means Jenkins can be home with his kids — 13-year-old Preslee and six-year-old Kash — while they’re in school and take them on the road with him when he’s performing.

    No matter where he’s performing or size of the audience, Jenkins always wants to convey his love for the music and hopes the message he shares touches someone to create those moments that last.

    “I just want our songs to be effective, meaning that someone relates to it, that it adds value to other people,” he explains.

    After all the performing, traveling and even his time back east in Tennessee, Jenkins still has country and small town living in his heart. Landing here in the Heber Valley has helped him create a balance of being on the road, spending quality time with his family and living in a rural setting close to his hometown — all while creating moments that last through song.

    Jenkins has become a fan favorite at the Buckaroo Ball during the Heber Valley Western Music and Cowboy Poetry Gathering. He and his band will be back this year during the Gathering’s 25th Anniversary. Don’t miss this great opportunity to see him perform locally, Friday October 25.

  • History Set In Stone: The Heber Valley Social Hall

    History Set In Stone: The Heber Valley Social Hall

    Art takes many forms in the Heber Valley. For as many different art forms there are, there are just as many different art spaces. Art and space go hand-in-hand: it’s difficult to create, perform or display any form of art without the space to do so. One space that stands out, and has stood the test of time, has been the Heber Valley Social Hall — the current home of Timpanogos Valley Theater.

    Standing behind the Heber City Administration building, the Social Hall has a rich 112-year history. Over the years, the building has had many different uses; from religious functions and recreation, to museums and now the arts.

    Originally called the Heber Amusement Hall, the building was commissioned by a joint effort of three Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints congregations. Construction began in 1906 and a majority of the work was done by volunteer laborers. The hall was intended to meet the growing demand of church meetings and functions, but it was also designed to be a place to gather and have fun.

    The Amusement Hall, or Social Hall as it is now known, was built out of the red sandstone characteristic of historic Heber City. Inside the almost 11,000-square-foot building sits one of the area’s few remaining early 19th century relics: an old spring-loaded oak dance floor with more than 400 coil springs. Over the years, when necessary, this dance floor doubled as a basketball court.

    Longtime residents of the valley who grew up here have vivid memories of youth dances on the old floor. Today, only a few historic buildings in Utah can still claim an original spring dance floor. Thanks to its unique features and long history, the Heber Valley Social Hall is listed in the National Historic Registry.

    Home To The Performing Arts

    Trudi Harter, president of Timpanogos Valley Theater, said the springs under the creaky floor are still there and could still function, but after rehearsing some dance scenes for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” they had to shore up the floor. It put too much spring in their step.

    Performing in a building well over 100 years old comes with challenges but Harter loves the historic nature of the Social Hall. She estimates that TVT, which already operates on a limited budget, spends nearly one third of their annual budget on repairs, upkeep and utilities. TVT relies heavily on volunteer hours from community groups, cast members and even the board.

    Harter says there are many times she comes in before the rest of the group to get things cleaned and ready. “It’s time-consuming and draining sometimes, moving things around to get ready for a production… maintaining a building is a lot of work.”

    The partnership between Heber City and TVT has worked out well over the years. Heber City Planner Tony Kohler believes that having art of some kind, whether performing or visual, is an ideal use of the space. “It would be great to have the Social Hall and the surrounding area be dedicated to the arts,” he says. “The arts could be part of a strategy to give people a reason to be downtown.”

    Taking Center Stage

    Around 1990, the LDS Church deeded the former tabernacle — now the city administration offices — and the Social Hall to Heber City. Before TVT took over occupancy in 2010, the Social Hall was used for a mishmash of things. It served as the Wasatch County Senior Center, the Parks and Recreation Department for Wasatch County and even housed the Daughters of Utah Pioneers exhibits for several years.

    Before leasing the building from the city, Harter said TVT had to slip into available spaces and juggle rehearsals around town. Theater comes with an inherent need for a lot of space for costumes, scenery, changing rooms, ticket offices, green rooms and more. Securing a place where they could keep all their equipment gave TVT the means to put on more shows and provide more opportunities for performers and audiences.

    The old Social Hall has served the valley well over its lifetime. It has brought our community together — first for spiritual enlightenment and now for entertainment — and continues to preserve the history of our valley. As one of the few places in Heber specifically dedicated to art and theater, whatever the future holds for the growing art scene in the valley, it is clear that the Social Hall will maintain a leading role.

  • The HV’s Got Talent

    The HV’s Got Talent

    Most of the visual and performing arts in the Heber Valley are created or performed by folks with careers outside the art world.

    The arts groups throughout the valley rely on these people to make time to actively participate in their passions. Some have been participating for a long time, others are new to the arts, and some are returning to something they used to love.

    No matter who you talk to in the valley’s arts scene, two common themes are readily apparent: these people have dedicated themselves to the arts out of their love to express creativity, and by participating in the arts, they have become better individuals who are more invested in the community.

    Gary Harter, of Midway, is a retired Army Colonel. You’d think he’d be gruff and rough with no time or desire for the stage, but his big, booming voice and his kind, inviting smile fit perfectly in the spotlight. From a young age, Harter enjoyed music and singing. His love for musical theater, however, is a relatively new development. It wasn’t until he moved his family to Midway in 2006 that he ventured back onto the stage after a nearly 30-year hiatus.

    “My wife, Trudi, saw that Timpanogos Valley Theater was auditioning for ‘The Music Man’ and said, ‘We’re auditioning!’” says Harter. A few weeks later he was cast as Mayor Shinn and from there his love for the arts snowballed into many more plays, dance performances and choral groups.

    Norma Burgner, also of Midway, had a similar experience entering the arts. It wasn’t until after leaving a fulfilling career managing arena venues in Georgia that she found a passion for painting. A little over three years ago she moved out west to be closer to her children. It was quite by happenstance that one of Burgner’s neighbors asked if she’d like to volunteer with the Midway Art Association. The rest, as they say, is history.

    “I just enjoyed every minute of it,” says Burger. Her involvement with the association sparked her journey of experimenting with oil paints before finding her love of water colors.

    Harter and Burgner have either rekindled an old love or found a new passion within themselves that adds more to their lives than just a few musical notes or some colors on a blank page. They’ve found that participating in the arts has given them a powerful sense of accomplishment and an outlet for creative expression.

    Harter loves performing on stage with a group of peers and cherishes the feelings of teamwork and triumph that come from knowing he did his best when the curtain closes. “When you get done with a performance and you’ve nailed it and you’re with the whole cast, it’s such a great feeling of accomplishment,” he explains.

    For Burgner, as someone who prefers being behind the scene, she enjoys the individual nature of painting. She says she likes the thrill that comes from starting with a blank canvass and knowing that it can become anything she can imagine. “I love the process of painting. It’s both frustrating and rewarding,” she says.

    As Harter and Burgner share their stories about how they got involved with the arts in the Heber Valley, they each describe a process of connecting to the people in their groups. These connections have not only made them advocates for the arts but have also helped create a sense of pride that has spurred more involvement in the community. As a result, both artists have spent time in front of city councils advocating for arts programs, creative spaces and even other non-art related community issues.

    “Art fosters creativity. We are going to need this type of creativity to address our community’s needs and challenges,” said Harter.

    Though Harter and Burgner participate at different ends of the spectrum, their love for the arts is the same. The connection they feel to the arts community and the broader Heber Valley has made such a lasting impact on them both. Thanks to the arts, they have found joy and have become more active citizens.

    Harter says that his involvement in the arts is what helps him feel connected to the community.

    “I like to be involved and doing things, and being involved in the theater has introduced me to many wonderful people in the valley. Outside of my neighbors, the arts are my only connection to the community,” said Harter.

    As for Burgner, she calls the Midway Art Association her “second family.”

    Harter and Burgner go to show that you don’t have to be a professional to enjoy participating in the arts.  They also show that it’s never too late to discover a new skill or rekindle an old talent, and prove that a strong arts sector not only uplifts individuals but strengthens the community as a whole.

  • A Transformative Influence: The Arts Community Strives For Excellence

    A Transformative Influence: The Arts Community Strives For Excellence

    It’s no secret the Heber Valley has seen some dramatic changes in the past few years. Since 2000, the population has doubled, and is expected to double again by 2040. The community is shifting from a sleepy agricultural community to a burgeoning mountain recreation mecca.

    Growth causes changes. Some changes are drastic such as increased traffic on Main Street, more commercial and retail offerings, and fields once plowed for grain become house-lined streets that are plowed for snow.

    Other changes, though not intrinsically bad, are more subtle and harder to anticipate or see. Gradually, the western heritage of the valley shifts to something more urban. Cultural attitudes and values shift and adapt to the needs of the changing demographic landscape. Eventually, some who have been here long enough start longing for the “good ol’ days,” and 20 years from now we may be longing for the way things are today.  Some changes can cause a great deal of harm, but others, if anticipated and planned for, can cause a great deal of good by helping us preserve what we love in our communities and may even have us looking with excitement toward the future. Take for example the growing arts community in the valley and consider where it has come from, how it benefits the valley and what the future holds.

    Sue Waldrip of Midway has been in the valley since 2005, and over the past 13 years she has seen how the arts have grown from a handful of struggling artists and performers to a viable solution to the challenges and changes facing the Heber Valley.

    Waldrip has spent her whole life loving and appreciating the arts. Her love for the arts began at an early age when she picked up the violin for the first time. The arts carried her through college with a music degree from the University of Utah. Soon after graduating, Waldrip headed off to California where she would raise her family of six kids. As often happens when raising children, some of her passions where placed on hold as she poured her love and effort into her family.

    Nevertheless, she still felt the arts calling her and through the years she found a new love of writing musicals and conducting choral groups. It became a way for her to connect with her community and even with a higher power.

    “I think art is divine. When we do good art, of whatever kind, it’s a way of communicating with a higher power. I think It makes us better people because it lifts and lightens our hearts,” says  Sue Waldrip.

    Today, Waldrip is the president of a theater group in Midway called High Valley Arts. Her group performs many times throughout the year from small, more intimate choral concerts, to grand productions of musicals such as “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat,” “Annie Get your Gun,” “The Wizard of Oz” and most recently “My Fair Lady.” Waldrip started High Valley Arts in 2009 and uses mostly volunteers to produce her events.

    Whether it’s rehearsals, planning meetings, auditions, scenery production or  promotions, Waldrip is always pushing her organization to strive for excellence and said other artists who love their work are doing the same. “We do everything the best we can. I love what I do so much that I can’t imagine anything less than excellence,” says Waldrip.

    It is this striving for excellence in the arts that can have a transformative influence on the community.

    It’s been her experience that the arts can inspire people to look at life in a new way, to explore new ideas and find solutions to many community problems. The Heber Valley is going through a major transition right now with debates about open space, preserving heritage, building a diversified economy and growth. In many ways Sue Waldrip says embracing the arts through things such as theater, music, painting, photography or whatever the medium can help address some of what she calls “tug-o-war” issues in the county.

    “Heber Valley is unique. The focus has been more cowboys, demolition derbies and agriculture than the arts, but as more people have come to the valley the arts have started to slowly grow,” she says.

    She points out how the Heber Valley culture is in fact being preserved through many of the different art programs in the valley. The Heber Valley Western Music and Cowboy Poetry Gathering has grown from a few residents around the valley

    swapping stories over some shared chili to one of the best in the country. The whole goal of the gathering is to preserve and honor the western way of life through music and odes to life on the trail. It’s the art that is keeping the stories and emotions of the west, and our own heritage, alive.

    Having visual and performing arts programs in this valley has helped create a more stable and diversified economy. Art helps create feelings of safety and security in the community that attract investment.

    Waldrip says the arts are a form of communication with a wide variety of dialects. Each person speaks and responds to a different dialect, but the arts’ ability to convey  motion and connection is universal. As the Heber Valley continues to grow and change over the next few years, she feels that an investment into the arts will be a way to communicate to one another on a deeper level, to inspire new ideas and keep what is loved about the Heber Valley.

    For more information on upcoming events and ways to get involved with the arts in the HV, check out wasatchcountyarts.org.

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