CEDAR CITY, Utah (June 5, 2026) - In honor of its 40th Anniversary, the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games held an extra special Opening Ceremony, presented by State Bank of Southern Utah, on June 5 at Southern Utah University's Eccles Coliseum. This year's event included a fantastic firework show, a thrilling trampolining performance by Flippen Out, and a lighting of the torch by retired Command Sergeant Major Michael M. Miller.

The traditional celebration of sport in southern Utah followed the annual Block Party, presented by KSL 5 TV, which allowed athletes, coaches, and community to enjoy a tailgate-style get-together before the athlete march. The back-to-back events mark the halfway point through the 40th Anniversary Celebration Series, presented by Leavitt Group and Auto-Owners Insurance.

Opening Ceremony, presented by State Bank of Southern Utah

The Opening Ceremony featured nostalgic callbacks to the founding of the Utah Summer Games in 1986, bringing the community together to revel in the past while celebrating the present.

"Tonight, we celebrate four decades of tradition, competition, community, and unforgettable memories," SUU President Mindy Benson said. "Since then, the Games have grown into one of the largest and most celebrated Olympic-style events in the state, impacting generations of athletes and showcasing the incredible spirit of southern Utah."

After a dramatic helicopter flyover and the legendary athlete march around the stadium, service members from SUU Army ROTC and the Utah National Guard's "Triple Deuce" raised a flag that flew on the famed USS Iron County.

The ceremony also included top-tier performances that returned to the Games' roots. Paying tribute to the gravity-defying Fergus Troupe that performed at the first USG Opening Ceremony, Flippen Out, another group of talented trampoline athletes, put on a captivating show. The band Shuffle continued the wave of nostalgia with a throwback show of top hits from the 1980s.

This year, decorated veterans carried the flame around the track, honoring 100 years of the Triple Deuce and commemorating America 250 as they lit the cauldron and kicked off the 2026 Utah Summer Games.

Closing the night, the annual USG firework show, highly regarded as one of the best in Utah, sent off fans in patriotic fashion.

Block Party, presented by KSL 5 TV

The highly anticipated Block Party, presented by KSL 5 TV, served as a key anchor for the 40th Anniversary Celebration Series Event, officially opening the festivities with an evening packed full of community engagement. Sponsors lined the football practice field with interactive tents while local food trucks filled the parking lot, offering a diverse array of good eats and drinks to the surging crowds.

As the event's largest sponsor, KSL 5 TV emphasized that the gathering is a direct reflection of the people it serves. The celebration provided an energetic space where families and neighbors could connect and share in the excitement of the milestone year.

"Well, it's important to us because it is the community," said KSL representative Joey Roth. "We are part of the community, and with this event, it helps bring everybody together, right? Families, the community, everybody's involved, and we're just here to support it all and help bring the fun."

What truly sets the event apart is the genuine connection between the people running the booths and the athletes on the field. Rather than hosting disconnected corporate entities, the gathering thrives on shared experiences, as many corporate sponsors double as active participants in the athletic events. Katherine Introna, who spent the evening collecting personal stories from attendees, noted that this unique dynamic removes the "nameless faces" often found at large corporate exhibitions.

"Usually the people running the booths are not only representing their job or where they're from, they also participate in the Games," Introna shared. "They are actually genuinely able to talk to each other and get along with each other because they're like neighbors that they practice running together. I think that's something that's really nice about the block party specifically is just that everyone who's here is part of it."

Next Up

With plenty of sports still open to registration, teams and individuals interested in participating in the 2026 Games can sign up at utahsummergames.org.