Holiday Lights: Midvale Main Street

 We did another random adventure looking for holiday lights. I had meant to make it to the Midvale City Light Up Main event this year, but we did not make it to that. So, we decided to come and see the lights on and around Main Street after the fact.

Quick Details:

Length: Drive through and see, or however much you want to wander.
Trail Type: Meander
Difficulty: DR1, get out and see. DR2 if you wander.
Elevation Gain: NA
Restroom: There is a Maverik nearby, those usually have nice and clean restrooms.
Dogs? Leashed.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Take i15 to 7200 south heading west. Turn left on 700 west. Turn left on 7800 South. Turn left on Main Street.

The Trail:

Main Street. It is not as spectacular as I thought it might be.

I am curious though, how Midvale's Main street came to be. It is like, the worlds smallest main street. And I am also curious as to how it came to be off set from State Street, like Murray.

The Pearl.

The entrance and box office.

Originally called The Iris. It was opened in 1918. It went through a few other names: The Burk Theater, The Comedy Circuit, Midvale Main Street Theater, and finally the Pearl. From what I can tell it is currently mixed between live shows and movies. One of these days I’ll go inside. It looks pretty neat, like the Murray Theater, and in fact is a little bit older! I have yet to go inside, so I don't know how original it is now.

The marquee.

Upon first glance my brain clutched onto SL UT, but missed the space. I had to do a doubletake because I thought surely a theater in Utah isn’t showing smut! (not that there is anything wrong with that, but you know, Utah) And yes, they are not showing smut, it appears to be a wrestling tournament.

From the other side.

The fun light pole decorations on 7800 South, or Center Street through here. I love how each city has their own version of these things.

The other direction.

The Midvale Performing Arts Center. This is what we wanted to see, the cities Christmas tree was supposed to be on top of this.

The light pole decorations again.

Again.

The Midvale Performing Arts Center again. 

Built in the 1930’s the building served as Midvale City Hall and police station. It sat vacant for years until the Midvale Performing Arts group acquired it in 2004.

Another neat little theater. I will have to come check out a show here sometime.

Neat old building!

Sadly, the Christmas tree is not there today. I'm not sure if they took it down, or the extreme wind we had today blew it away.

A bell in honor of the Utah Centennial, 1996.

The neat building again.

The light pole decorations again.

The Pearl.

Again.

Main Street.

Quite a few movies had scenes filmed here including The Stand, The Sandlot, Halloween 4, and Gentlemen Broncos. I recognized it in The Stand, but don't recall catching it in The Sandlot (even though I know the movie was filmed in Utah) or Halloween 4. I will have to re-watch them both. I have never even heard of Gentlemen Broncos, but I might look it up.

One of the store fronts. I like that somehow all these years later they have retained the original charm of a historic Main Street, for the most part.

Cute little tree lot.

Further north on Main Street (Passenger Seat Photography).

Well, that wasn’t as neat and magical as we had hoped, but it was a fun little adventure with some neat historic buildings. 7 out of 10 squirrels.

As for difficulty, it’s paved, and pretty flat. DR2. Or DR1 if you don't wander too much, or stay in the car.

 

Dogs are allowed on city sidewalks. Be sure to clean up after your furry friends.