LOGAN — Creativity doesn’t come with an age limit, and older adults in Cache Valley are being invited to prove it at the valley’s first Creative Aging Festival.
The free event, part of Utah’s new statewide Kaleidoscope Festival, will take place Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Bullen Center in downtown Logan, hosted by AmeriCorps Seniors and CacheARTS.
The festival is open to adults 55 and older and runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants can rotate through 45-minute workshops in ceramics, a sing-along, Senior Swans Ballet, the New Horizons Orchestra, or Movement with Grace. CacheARTS staff will also share information about ushering opportunities at the Ellen Eccles and Lyric theaters.
“Creativity has no expiration date,” said Cynthia Jensen, program coordinator with AmeriCorps Seniors. “Come have fun with us!”
The workshops highlight the health and social benefits of creative aging. The Valley Dance Ensemble’s Movement with Grace introduces gentle modern dance for all ability levels, while the Cache Valley Civic Ballet’s Senior Swans offers low-impact ballet to improve balance, mood and confidence. The New Horizons Orchestra introduces or re-introduces adults to string instruments, with classes beginning Sept. 22 through CacheARTS.
“This festival is a great, no-pressure opportunity to step out on a limb and try something new,” said Robyn Hoth, Arts Education Director at CacheARTS. “I want older adults to know that there are ongoing arts opportunities for them. No resumes or credentials required! Just come as you are. Your teachers believe in you and your peers will be there to encourage you. I am inspired when I see someone engaged in making the world a more beautiful, fun, and friendly place.”
Organizers say engaging in the arts boosts brain health, sharpens memory, improves mood and can even help delay dementia—benefits that are magnified in a social setting.
The Bullen Center, at 43 S. Main Street in Logan, is adjacent to the Ellen Eccles Theater. Registration is available online at wkf.ms/45rr0QS.