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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) – The holiday season is here and that means storefronts, houses, and parks across the state of Utah will light up with displays, decorations, and more to bring about the holiday spirit.

Below is a list of some of the best places across Utah to see spectacular holiday lights. Be sure to check back often as the list gets updated throughout the month!

Address: 400 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101Price: Free

In the heart of Downtown Salt Lake City, The Gateway has its own holiday lights with Rio Grande street illuminated with Christmas decorations and the Olympic fountain featuring a Christmas tree for all to enjoy. In addition, throughout the shopping center are festive art installations such as a disco ball snowman and dripping gumdrops.

Address: 2600 Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City, UT 84108Price: Adults $15 / Child $12

The Utah Hogle Zoo’s annual ZooLights tradition features displays of animals, characters, and holiday scenes beautifully lit up for families of all ages. The Zoo will also display a kaleidoscopic light tunnel, a 20-foot tree, and more.

Address: 575 East Univ. Parkway, Orem, UT 84097Price: Free

A Christmas light display in The Orchard and University Place in Orem, the Lights in the Orchard features a 30 ft. tall walk-through tree, 75 feet of archways, and the University Place logo covered in over 100,000 lights.

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Address: 3900 N. Garden Drive, Lehi, UT 84043 Price: Adult $24 / Child $17 / Youth $19 / Senior $21

The annual Thanksgiving Point tradition, Luminaria will take you through the Ashton Gardens, complete with light and music shows, a 120 ft. tree, nativity scenes, and a special display featuring fire and ice. The path features 6,500 programmable luminaries, each one a pixel in a moving picture. Advance reservations are required online and spaces are limited.

Address: 9256 S State St., Sandy, UT 84070Price: Adult $17 / Child $12 / Family $58

Held at America First Field, the North Pole Festival is a nightly light show of nearly 2.5 million lights throughout the stadium. The festival includes a tree maze, light slide, stomp lights, shooting star displays, and a light show synchronized to popular holiday music.

Address: 343 25th St., Ogden, UT 84401Price: Free

The annual Ogden Christmas Village is a free daily experience in downtown Ogden, complete with Christmas Cottages, an ornament scavenger hunt, and illuminated trees and decorations to enjoy.

Address: 259 W Salem Lake Dr., Salem, UT 84653Price: Free

Salem City’s Pond Town Christmas runs nightly, with illuminated trees reflecting beautifully off the water and an illuminated bridge crossing over the pond. The scene provides a serene and picturesque winter landscape the family can enjoy with breathtaking amazement.

Address: 4801 N. University Ave, Provo, UT 84604Price: Free

Need to complete some holiday shopping but still want to see some lights? The annual Riverwoods Shops Lights may be your go-to destination. With over one million lights and ice sculptures, there will be plenty of illuminated sights to see while completing those holiday wish lists.

Address: Canyon View Park, 3300 E. Powerhouse Rd., Spanish Fork, UT 84660Price: Single-family vehicle $10 / Commerical van or vehicle+trailer $25 / Bus $50

Want to take in lights but don’t want to get out of the car? Spanish Fork has you covered with its Festival of Lights drive. The Festival of Lights features over one million lights and has been slowly growing since 1993, becoming a local favorite family tradition with cheap and affordable admission.

Address: 50 N Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150Price: Free

Despite construction, Temple Square and the five city blocks of LDS historic sites still offer many Christmas-themed activities, including its highly anticipated annual lights that turn on every day from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. until Jan. 1.

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

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SPRING CITY, Sanpete County — In a remote part of Sanpete County, Hannah Stoddard picked up what looked like some wheat with some darker pieces of grain.

"In the process of working on our property (in Spring City), we found this plant," Stoddard said.

She said she thought maybe it was some wild rice, something they could grow, harvest and eat. Fortunately, they checked first.

Dean Miner, a professor with the Utah State University extension office in Provo, said what Stoddard found was a wheatgrass infected with a fungus called ergot of rye.

"Historically, it's been the cause of thousands of deaths," Miner said. "Consumption of grain that's got ergotism — is what they call it — can cause very erratic behavior in people."

Miner said some historians believe that effect may have led to the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, back in the late 1600s.

"Part of their behavior, acting erratically, doing strange things that very easily could have been interpreted as witch-like behavior because they didn't have any other explanation for it," Miner said.

Luckily, the Stoddard family won't have to worry about that, even though Hannah said she did taste a bit of it before turning it in.

"One grain,” Stoddard said laughing.

But adding to the irony of this story, Stoddard teaches high school history and said she's studied the witch trials closely.

"The puritans actually based their entire civilization, their entire culture on The Bible, on the Old Testament,” she said. "One of the principles in the Old Testament is that you always have a system of witnesses; a trial.”

Did we mention that the Stoddards live in Salem, Utah?

"A little humorous I guess you could say,” Stoddard said.

As far as the grain they found, having an eerie tie to Halloween, Stoddard points out that the puritans refused to celebrate Halloween.

“It was illegal,” she said.

And her family doesn't celebrate it either, but there is one more coincidence in this story.

“Our family ourselves, we actually go back to some of my ancestors were there at the Salem witch trials," Stoddard said.

Though aside from this history lesson, Stoddard said there's one more take away.

“You don't eat everything you find," she said. "Just because something looks good doesn't mean it's safe."

Contributing: Xoel Cardenas

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PROVO, UTAH (Good Things Utah) — Jaylynn Lindley, a 16-year-old student from Salem Hills High School, was named Miss Utah’s Teen 2023 this past weekend at the Provo Covey Center. It is safe to say that this talented young lady has a bright future ahead of her. With a passion for dance, a commitment to academics, and a heart for service, Jaylynn is a true inspiration to young people everywhere.

At the Miss Utah’s Teen competition, Jaylynn shone brightly, winning several awards including the Top Fitness, Top Evening Gown, and Overall Dancer Award. Her hard work and dedication also earned her the 11th-grade Scholastic Achievement Award. Upon winning the title, Jaylynn received a $5,000 cash award and a 2-year tuition waiver to Utah Tech University. These accolades are well-deserved, and will assist in her future college endeavors.

Jaylynn is a dancer at Center Stage Performing Arts in Orem and balances it all with grace and style. She performed her award winning dance routine titled, “Dreams”.

Her commitment to dance is matched by her commitment to service. Her community service initiative, “Find Your Fire,” helps students to discover their future goals, interests, reasons for what they do, and experiences. She hopes to raise $2,000 for a high school senior this year through her Arts Night Fundraiser, which highlights young people who have a passion for what they do.

Jaylynn’s ultimate goal is to attend BYU as a Cougarette and then graduate from Harvard Medical School. Her drive and determination are truly inspiring, and her commitment to service shows that she is not only dedicated to her own success but also to the success of others. It is no wonder that she has been recognized as Miss Utah’s Teen, and we can only imagine the great things she will accomplish in the future.

If you are interested in booking Jaylynn for an event, you can visit the Miss Utah’s Teen website or follow her year of service on Instagram at @missamericasteenut

Dozens of people filled the Salem City Council meeting last Wednesday to speak against a proposed D.R. Horton development — Viridian Farm. It’s planned to be a mixed density community of more than 700 acres on BYU Farm — agricultural land owned by Brigham Young University.

The development would create 2,004 housing units in the area and include clusters of new townhomes, cottages, community buildings, parks, and trails. It's one of the many new developments being planned for Salem.

The majority of residents who spoke Wednesday night were against the project, questioning its feasibility or offering alternative solutions. Most argued Salem, as a small agricultural town, doesn't have the infrastructure to support the project.

In response, Bruce Ward, city manager and engineer, said it would be the responsibility of the developer to create that over the next 15 years.

Kelly Swenson, a Salem resident who lives near BYU Farm, said she learned of the development about a year ago from a neighbor. Since then, she’s been attending as many public hearings as possible.

“I was so upset about it thinking that we were going to lose this character of our community,” Swenson said. “Salem is a really special place. We call it the last gem of Utah County.”

Swenson started a petition to put a lower density development in the area instead. It now has over 4,000 signatures. She said she knows growth in the area is inevitable, but it matters how they’ll grow and how fast it will happen.

“I know there's an affordable housing shortage,” she said. “Salem is doing their part to take care of that and they're putting a lot of those developments in places where it makes more sense. But where this BYU Farm is, there is no infrastructure.”

Over the past two decades, the average price of a house in Salem has gone up by $123,000, according to the non-profit research group Headwaters Economics. As the state experiences housing affordability issues, more developers are starting to branch out into rural areas across the Wasatch Front.

Dejan Eskic, a senior research fellow at the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, said it’s not a new trend.

“We are in a housing shortage. There's a lot of housing demand,” he said.

Eskic said developers often build in rural areas because of the amount of land they’re able to purchase and because of the price.

“Some of these further out cities that are away from the major employment centers — typically they're the more affordable ones,” Eskic said. “The land is cheaper. You can bring more affordable housing to the market.”

D.R. Horton Development is working with Salem to annex the land into the city. It’s currently unincorporated county land. Over the last year the annexation has faced several protests from city and county residents.

City council members are set to vote on the annexation in the coming weeks.

After a long recruiting process, South Salem senior lineman Ashton Adams has decided on his future, and he’s excited to get there.

Adams, the state’s No. 17 recruit in 2019, according to 247Sports.com, announced last week that he is committed to Utah State.

“The biggest reason for me was just the players, coaches and fans,” Adams said. “I felt like I should’ve been dressed up for the game. That’s how at home I felt.”

It has been a tough season for Adams, who has been out with an injury since Sept. 21. South Salem finished the season 2-7.

Adams has been focused on rehab, and he is pleased with the progress he’s been making.

“I am coming back really well,” Adams said. “I have made early progress.”

Adams is the second football player from Salem to commit to Utah State this fall, joining West Salem quarterback and safety Simon Thompson.

MORE: A deeper look at Alex Hurlburt's first career touchdown for West Salem

Adams is looking forward to becoming teammates with Thompson.

“Me and Simon grew up playing against each other, so it will be cool to see him make plays for our team this time,” Adams said. “And because Utah is so far from home, it’s gonna be nice to have someone from home with me.”

Ashton Adams, South Salem (OL, DL — 2019 class)

Adams has been out with an injury. South Salem’s season is over.

State rank (247Sports.com): No. 17

Committed: Utah State

Other Mid-Valley prospects

Erik Barker, McNary (QB, DB — 2020 class)

Barker rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another in McNary’s 40-33 win last week against South Salem. The Celtics next will play against Lakeridge in the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

State rank (247Sports.com): No. 9

Offers: None

Andre Beall, North Salem (OL, DL — 2019 class)

North Salem lost 44-7 last week to Lebanon. The Vikings’ season is over.

State rank (247Sports.com): Unranked

Offers: None

Diego Fuimaono, South Salem (TE, DL — 2019 class)

South Salem lost 40-33 last week to McNary. The Saxons’ season is over.

State rank (247Sports.com): No. 18

Offers: None

Anthony Gould, West Salem (WR, DB — 2019 class)

Gould rushed for 303 yards and three touchdowns in West Salem’s 42-14 win last week against Sprague. The Titans next will face Southridge in the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

State rank (247Sports.com): No. 7

Committed: Oregon State

Alex Hurlburt, West Salem (OL, LB — 2019 class)

Hurlburt scored on a 26-yard touchdown run in West Salem’s 42-14 win last week against Sprague. He also had 15 tackles, one quarterback hit and one pass deflection on defense. The Titans next will face Southridge in the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

State rank (247Sports.com): No. 19

Committed: Montana

Levi Nielsen, Silverton (QB — 2019 class)

Nielsen was 16 of 24 for 136 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Silverton’s 17-14 win last week against West Albany. The Foxes next host Parkrose on Friday in the OSAA Class 5A state playoffs.

State rank (247Sports.com): Unranked

Offers: Whittier College

Micah Pugh, West Salem (WR, LB — 2019 class)

Pugh had a 76-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in West Salem’s 42-14 win last week against Sprague. Pugh also had one tackle on defense. The Titans next will face Southridge in the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

State rank (247Sports.com): Unranked

Committed: Air Force

Chris Sharp, Sprague (RB, LB — 2020 class)

Chris Sharp scored a touchdown in a 42-14 loss last week to West Salem. The Olympians’ season is over.

State rank (247Sports.com): Unranked

Offers: None

Simon Thompson, West Salem (QB, DB — 2019 class)

Thompson threw for 55 yards and rushed for 16 in West Salem’s 42-14 win against Sprague last week. He also had 11 tackles on defense. The Titans next face Southridge in the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

State rank (247Sports.com): No. 11

Committed: Utah State

Junior Walling, McNary (RB, LB — 2020 class)

Walling rushed for 215 yards and three touchdowns last week in a 40-33 win against South Salem. He also had eight tackles, two sacks and five quarterback hits on defense. The Celtics next face Lakeridge in the OSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

State rank (247Sports.com): No. 4

Offers: Oregon State

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