(cheerful music) - The creativity and cultural heartbeat of the west side of Salt Lake County will be on full display at West Side Culture Fest.

Enjoy two days of free live music, theater performances, dance, and more.

Taylor Barnes is here with a few of the highlights that you've got to check out this year.

Taylor, thank you so much for being here.

- Thank you very much.

- So tell me about this festival.

What excites you about it this year?

- I think the thing that's the most exciting is being able to build community within your community.

So it's so cool that we can go to the West Side and really experience it, the traditions and the cultures and the community over there and also work towards building it up at the same time.

- And I hear you guys are gonna have more than 40 live performances this year?

- Yes, yes.

And not just live performances.

We also have workshops where you can really get your hands into things.

We've got a family area where you can bring things with you home, portraits and glitter tattoos, face painting, and then we also have a whole art market where artists from the West Side get to sell the things that they've made.

- That is incredible.

What kind of an impact does that make to support local artists like that?

- I mean, I think that we really learned during the pandemic that when we don't really participate in being able to help create art, that things really start to fall through the cracks.

And so just to be able to say, "We see you, we want your art, please keep creating it", really does just make a difference in our community.

- Well, one thing during the pandemic that really took off was dancing on the line on TikTok.

And everything else.

- Yes.

- I hear that's one of your favorite parts of the celebration.

- It is.

It is.

Just being able to see not just the beautiful technique that all of these dancers have, but where all of these dances come from traditionally and what cultures and all of that is just such a beautiful way for us to experience dance together.

- What do you hope people will take away from this year's event?

- Oh, that, what a beautiful question.

I hope that people take away that free events through theater and through our community really are the way that we can connect with one another through our summers and through our falls and through the rest of the year.

- Yeah.

You guys are gonna have food trucks too, so if people feel like they're not a creative, they can still come out and just- - Yes, ma'am.

- Enjoy things and get some great food too.

- Yes.

- Thank you so much for joining us.

If you would like to check out West Side Culture Fest, it's happening at the Mid Valley Performing Arts Center, August 14th and the 15th from 4:30 until 10:30 PM.

Just head to saltlakecountyarts.org/westsidet for more details.

I'm Liz Adeola.

Thank you for watching "Contact".

(upbeat music) Philanthropy, Arts, culture.

It's what brings us together.

Hi, I'm Liz Adeola, the host of Contact, a show that connects you with local events and organizations that serve your community.

If you work for a nonprofit and would like to be on Contact, please visit pbs.org/contact