For the Week of June 9th, 2025
The previous weekend marked the 2025 celebration of South Jordan’s Summerfest, an annual gathering of community, small businesses, and humankind’s ongoing efforts to batter and deep-fry the unimaginable. We were in attendance, of course — few things are as pleasant on a summer evening as a cool stroll through a park. Though, to be fair, the sweaty trek through the dusty parking lot behind the Equestrian Center was somewhat less enchanting.
Carnival Courtship
South Jordan’s summer fair remains a reliable theater for the rituals of teenage romance, and this year’s theme — if one could be assigned — appeared to be coupling. Not just the usual furtive glances and held hands, but an all-out parade of identically coiffed teen boys flitting from ride to ride, each donning a low-fade undercut, crisp white tee, and the finest silver chain Amazon Prime could furnish in under two days.
Success seemed rare. Even the couples who had managed to pair off often found themselves confronting the cruel mechanics of young love. We watched one such duo stand patiently in line for the Ferris Wheel, inching forward under the glare of its steely-eyed operator. After fifteen minutes, the boy abruptly pulled his date away toward the parking lot. A more romantic adventure, perhaps? Not quite — he explained that her mother would be there in ten minutes, and she was famously slow while walking. While she likely won’t be calling him Romeo, one must admire his commitment to punctuality.
Embittering Embroidery
One of the most popular vendor booths at Summerfest this year seemed to be a booth where a local seamstress, looking slightly frazzled from long hours of nimble work, sat beneath an enormous banner reading ‘WE CAN EMBROIDER ANYTHING’, accompanied by a display of hats, tee-shirts, and other cloth items. As we walked by, we heard her say to a group of teenagers, “Yes, I can embroider on your hat… oh, but I won’t embroider that, no…. and I DEFINITELY won’t embroider THAT…” Perhaps next year’s banner will carry an asterisk and a gentle clarification: Anything (within reason).
Merrily Rounded
A welcome and particularly amusing sight at Summerfest this year was the carousel, perpetual fairground favorite of children, romantics, nostalgics, and people looking to simulate mild intoxication. We were pleased to see that unlike virtually every other carousel that we’ve seen in a public setting, this one seemingly allowed for pets to ride as well, as at least one young woman was sighted — dog in arms — riding the carousel towards the end of the evening.
She was clearly delighted. The dog’s thoughts remain unrecorded, but observers described its expression as one of “good-natured confusion,” which, all things considered, is a pretty good summary of carousel riding in general.
Carted Away
Saturday night brought one final surprise: Mayor Dawn Ramsey, seen zooming across an open field in a staff golf cart with her grandchild — no more than a year old — perched in her lap and clutching the wheel like a seasoned driver.
We adore Mayor Ramsey and the thoughtful stewardship she brings to South Jordan. Still, we couldn’t help but chuckle at the metaphor: a literal infant at the wheel of a government vehicle. In some corners of the state, it might feel a little too on the nose. But here in South Jordan, at least, it’s just a sweet moment between grandparent and child — not a commentary on electoral leadership. Probably.