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After years of uncertainty surrounding the shuttered Evermore Park in Pleasant Grove, bestselling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson says his company, Dragonsteel, is partnering with The Will Group to purchase the property. Evermore permanently closed in 2024 after years of financial and operational struggles, and several attempts to revive the fantasy-themed attraction never came together. Sanderson had previously toured the property and declined to buy it because he hoped someone else would restore Evermore’s original concept.

That is no longer the plan. Sanderson says the existing Evermore buildings have deteriorated too far to preserve and that portions of the property will need to be demolished and the ground regraded. Instead, the land will become part of an expanded Dragonsteel campus alongside property the company already controls nearby. Current plans call for a permanent Dragonsteel headquarters, warehouse, bookstore, event space and additional development connected to the company.

For Pleasant Grove, this is more than the end of a strange chapter in local entertainment. Sanderson has built one of the largest independent publishing operations in the country, with a fan base that routinely brings thousands of people to Utah for book releases and conventions. Turning the long-dormant Evermore property into a public-facing Dragonsteel campus could make this corner of Pleasant Grove a destination again — just in a very different form than originally imagined. Sanderson says demolition could begin soon, with more details about the project coming later.

See Brandon Sanderson’s plans for the former Evermore Park property

BYU’s new School of Medicine has received accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, clearing one of the biggest hurdles before the school can begin training physicians. The university can now recruit its inaugural class for a medical doctorate program scheduled to begin in July 2027. The medical school was first announced in 2024 and is being developed alongside a new campus and training facilities in Provo.

See what accreditation means for BYU’s new medical school

Downtown Provo will host the first Utah Valley Christkindlmarkt from Dec. 10–12 at the Utah County Historic Courthouse complex. Modeled after traditional European Christmas markets, the event will include artisan chalets, Utah-made gifts, choirs and orchestras, German-inspired food, lights and children’s activities. The Provo Farmers Market and Explore Utah Valley are organizing the three-day event, with vendor applications already underway.

See what’s planned for Utah County’s new Christkindlmarkt

One Orem family has transformed its home into an elaborate Harry Potter-inspired Halloween display known as “480 Hogwarts,” drawing thousands of visitors. The setup includes recreations and references from the books and films and has grown into considerably more than a typical neighborhood Halloween display. It is another example of the elaborate homegrown Halloween attractions that tend to pop up around Utah County this time of year.

Take a look inside Orem’s Harry Potter-inspired Halloween display

Misti Maki describes itself as Utah’s first restaurant dedicated to Nikkei sushi, a cuisine created through the blending of Japanese culinary techniques and Peruvian ingredients. Located at 2085 W. 450 South in Pleasant Grove, the restaurant builds traditional sushi rolls around ingredients like ají amarillo, citrus, Peruvian sauces and crispy sweet potato alongside more familiar Japanese flavors.

The menu includes an Acevichado Roll topped with fresh tuna and Peruvian sauce, a Huancaína Roll with seared salmon and ají amarillo cheese sauce, ceviche, lomo saltado and more traditional sushi, sashimi and nigiri. It is the kind of place that works especially well for Restaurant of the Week because it brings something genuinely unusual to the Utah County restaurant scene rather than simply being another variation on a familiar concept.

Explore Misti Maki’s Japanese-Peruvian menu

When: October 19 (Monday), 7–8 p.m.

Where: Provo Library at Academy Square, Provo

The Utah County Flute Choir performs a free all-ages concert featuring Halloween music including themes from The Addams Family, Psycho and The Nightmare Before Christmas; registration is required.

Register for the free Halloween concert at the Provo Library

When: October 22 (Thursday), 4–6:30 p.m.

Where: Springville Museum of Art, Springville

The museum mixes art with Halloween for an afternoon of costumes, trick-or-treat games and hands-on activities throughout the galleries; admission is free.

See what’s planned for the Springville Museum of Art Halloween Party

When: October 23 (Friday), 5–8 p.m.

Where: The Orchard at University Place, Orem

Villains take over The Orchard for an evening of trick-or-treating, local vendors, fire dancers, character appearances, games and other Halloween activities.

See the full Night of Fright schedule at University Place

When: October 23 (Friday), 7–10 p.m.

Where: Spanish Fork Library, Spanish Fork

The library turns its second floor into an adults-only Halloween ball inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, complete with seven themed chambers, mask-making, tarot readings, dancing and a costume contest.

See details for Spanish Fork Library’s Scarlet Masque Ball

When: October 23 (Friday), 6:30–10 p.m.

Where: The Castle at Wadley Farms, Lindon

This 18-and-older immersive fantasy ball transforms Wadley Farms into a vampire gathering with elaborate costumes, dancing, performances, hidden lore, a themed market and gothic surroundings.

Enter the world of Sanguine: A Vampire Masquerade

When: October 24 (Saturday), 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Where: Show Barn at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi

Thanksgiving Point celebrates Día de los Muertos with community ofrendas, mariachi, folklórico dancers, Aztec dance, Latin American food, artisans, storytelling and a Catrina and Catrín contest.

See the full Día de los Muertos celebration and performance schedule

When: October 24 (Saturday), 3–5:30 p.m. and 6:30–9 p.m.

Where: Provo Recreation Center, Provo

Provo turns its recreation center into a family Halloween carnival with a trick-or-treat street, character appearances, carnival games, live entertainment and a hay house.

Get tickets for Provo’s Villains & Heroes Halloween Carnival

If you spot something interesting, confusing, or very Utah County — a new restaurant, construction mystery, or rumor that needs checking — hit reply. The best tips make it into next week’s issue (with credit, if you want it).

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