Whale Fest 2026: October 3 archive

A past date, preserved for reference

The 9th & 9th Business District and Salt Lake City Arts Council scheduled Whale Fest for Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 2 to 7 p.m. at the roundabout at 900 South and 1100 East. The announced celebration was planned to mark the unveiling of Open Your Eyes, Jiyoun Lee-Lodge's mural on Stephen Kesler's Out of the Blue.

This date has passed. The details below preserve the pre-event plan reported here on September 20; they are not a report confirming what took place or a notice of a future celebration. Times are local Salt Lake City time.

The archived afternoon schedule

1:30 p.m. — Check in for the costume and Whale Call contests.

2:15 p.m. — Opening remarks.

2:30 p.m. — Costume contest.

3 p.m. — Whale Call contest.

3:30 p.m. — Parade.

2–7 p.m. — Crafts, local vendors, and food trucks.

The planned contests

The organizers' pre-event interest form listed an adult costume contest, a kids-and-teens costume contest for entrants under 18, and the Whale Call contest. It said participation instructions would be emailed before the event.

These were plans for October 3. This archive does not offer contest registration or confirm entrants, winners, or attendance.

Why this unveiling is different

Out of the Blue was designed to receive a new mural every three to five years. The celebration was planned around its first repainting, following Point of Reference, Michael Murdock's inaugural 2022 mural.

October 8 mural update: the city's public-art collection now identifies Open Your Eyes as the current mural. The permanent sculpture remains while its painted surface changes.

For future visits

Do not use this past schedule to plan a new visit or assume event access arrangements still apply. Check the organizers' sites for future announcements and current visitor guidance.

Whale Fest is separate from the September 19 9th & 9th Street Festival. Whale Fortunes is an independent guide, not an event organizer.