This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

We're here to help you plan your weekend, with best picks from our entertainment reporters, critics and bloggers. For more event listings, visit nowsaltlake.com.

OUT AND ABOUT

Davis County Fair • All day Friday and Saturday at the Legacy Events Center, 151 S. 1100 West in Farmington. A rodeo is 8 p.m. both nights. Rodeo ticket prices start at $10 at the door. More information: http://www.davisfair.org.

Utah County Fair • 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 475 S. Main St., Spanish Fork. Both days include animal demonstrations, kids games and live music. Admission is free. Visit http://utcountyfair.com for more information.

Beaver County Fair • 8 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday at 1400 E. Highway 21 in Minersville. Admission is free but the rodeo on Friday night and the demolition derby on Saturday night both require $5 per person. For more information visit: http://www.beavercountyfair.com.

Garfield County Fair • All day Friday and Saturday at the fairgrounds and arena on U.S. Highway 89 on the north end of Panguitch. For more information, visit: http://garfield.utah.gov.

Wayne County Fair • All day Friday and Saturday at the fairgrounds in Loa. Friday includes a rodeo at 7 p.m.. There's a parade 10 a.m. Saturday down Main Street in Loa then a 6 p.m. Demolition Derby at the fairgrounds. Fireworks will follow. Admission prices vary on event. For more information visit: http://www.waynecountyutah.org/Wayne-County-Fair

Art Access Annual Partners Exhibit & Annual Teen Exhibit • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday followed by an artists reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 230 S. 500 West #125 in Salt Lake City. Art Access Gallery will feature work created by seven partnerships of mentoring and apprentice artists. More information: http://accessart.org.

Salsa Party Presented by Wasatch Community Gardens • 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Fairpark Garden, 1037 W. 300 North in Salt Lake City. It's a tasting of salsas made by local artisans. There's music, dancing, kids activities and a celebration of harvest season. More information: http://wasatchgardens.org/events/tomato-days-2012/salsa-party.

Top of Utah Readers' Choice Awards Block Party • 7 p.m. to dark Friday, at The Junction near 23rd Street and Washington Boulevard. The free event includes a performance by rock and country act the Greg Simpson Band and a chalk art contest for kids. More information: http://go.standard.net/story/learn-who-has-won-readers-choice-awards-at-block-party.

Weber Pathways Fundraiser • 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Snowbasin. There is a barbecue and live and silent auctions and raffle to win outdoor gear. Tickets are $40 and benefit Weber Pathways, a nonprofit that plans, promotes, constructs and protects nonmotorized trails and open space in Weber County. More information: http://www.weberpathways.org.

India Independence Day celebration • All festivities are Saturday at the India Cultural Center, 1142 W. South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan. Registration for a 5K run/walk is at 7:45 a.m. with the race beginning at 8:30 a.m. At 10:30 a.m. is a speech by Nirupama Rao, India's ambassador to the United States. Lunch is at noon and costs $5 per plate. For more information: http://www.sghtu.org/ICC/events.php.

Oktoberfest at Snowbird • Noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 7. Admission is free. More information: http://www.snowbird.com.

Bear Lake Swim • Begins 8 a.m. Saturday at Cisco Beach in Garden City. There is a .5-mile course and a 7-mile course or relay for swimmers or kayakers. A $60 registration is required. For more information, visit http://www.bearlakeswim.com.

Pig N' Pork Day • 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Thanksgiving Point, 3003 N. Thanksgiving Point Way in Lehi. The Utah Pork Producers help you make pig snouts and pig ears to disguise yourself like a pig, design a pig puppet, decorate a pig cookie, play eat like a pig and more. There are food, games, crafts and activities. Cost is $5 per person. More information: 801-768-2300.

International Peace Gardens Festival • Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at 1000 S. 900 West in Salt Lake City. The festival includes multicultural music, dance, food and boutique items. For more information call 801-313-1011.

Farmers Market South Jordan • 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 27, South Jordan Towne Center, 10610 S. Redwood Road, South Jordan. More information, http://www.southjordanfarmersmarket.com/.

Downtown Farmers Market • 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Pioneer Park, 300 S. 300 West. More than 250 vendors offering produce, baked goods, prepared foods, packaged foods and more. More information, http://www.slcfarmersmarket.org/.

Wasatch Farmers Market at Gardner Village • 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Gardner Village, 1100 W. 7800 South, West Jordan. The market will be held every Saturday through Sept. 29. Live music, farm-fresh breakfast, 90-plus farmers, artists and more. More information, http://www.gardnervillage.com.

Provo Farmers Market • 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Pioneer Park, 500 W. Center St. More information, http://provofarmersmarket.blogspot.com/.

Farmers and Artists Market - Ogden Valley • 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Century 21 parking lot in Eden. More information, http://www.ovba.org/FAM/index.html.

People's Market • 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, International Peace Gardens, 1060 S. 900 West. The People's Market features items from local farmers, lunch food, music, entertainment and handmade crafts. More information, http://www.slcpeoplesmarket.org.

Park Silly Sunday Market • 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 23, Historic Main Street, Park City. Vendors, free kids activities, gourmet food, live music, performers, farmer's market, beer garden and more. More information, http://www.ParkSillySundayMarket.com.

MOVIES

There's something for everybody at the movies this weekend, as Hollywood gets rolling on its August clearance sale — trying to move out the troublesome or hard-to-market movies that couldn't compete against the early-summer blockbusters.

What's likely to be the top title at the box office this weekend is "The Expendables 2," the testosterone-fueled sequel to the 2010 action movie. Joining Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture and Terry Crews are more muscular stars — including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis (who both cameo'd in the first one), Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris and Michelle Yeoh (who is, yes, a woman — but one capable of beating up most of the guys listed). Alas, the movie was not screened for Utah critics.

Neither was "Sparkle," a remake of a 1976 music-industry melodrama about three sisters striving for Motown success and discovering the pitfalls of fame along the way. Jordin Sparks stars, and the movie also boasts the final screen appearance of Whitney Houston.

For the kids — or, at least, kids with a macabre streak — is the stop-motion animated tale "ParaNorman," in which a boy (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee) who can talk to ghosts discovers that it's his fate to protect his town from a witch's curse. The animation is gorgeously detailed and playful, and the story takes Norman into some decidedly odd and fascinating directions.

And don't forget the charming family fantasy melodrama "The Odd Life of Timothy Green," which opened Wednesday.

For Utah audiences, Friday also brings the World War II drama "Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed." Director Ryan Little, who made the first "Saints and Soldiers" in 2003, doesn't bring back any of the characters from the first film — but continues the thematic examination of people keeping, finding or losing their faith in the face of war. The movie makes the most out of a miniscule budget, and Little keeps the action and the drama bubbling along nicely.

On the art-house slate, the weirdest of the week is "Klown," a dark and wildly raunchy comedy from Denmark. Writers Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen, playing characters who are fictional versions of themselves, expand on their popular TV series for this story of an awkward guy (Hvam) trying to prove that he's good father material. His plan: Kidnap his girlfriend's 12-year-old nephew (Marcuz Jess Petersen) and take him along on a canoeing trip with Christensen — who's been planning the trip as a way to go to an exclusive brothel without his girlfriend finding out. The level of filthy humor makes "The Hangover" look like a Disney cartoon, but it's still scathingly and inappropriately funny.

"Trishna" is a fascinating cross-cultural drama, in which writer-director Michael Winterbottom ("24 Hour Party People," "Welcome to Sarajevo") transports Thomas Hardy's 19th-century tale of female oppression, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, to modern India. The setting is perfect, a clash of tradition and modernity, and the beautiful Freida Pinto ("Slumdog Millionaire") is electrifying as the woman caught between them.

German actress Diane Kruger ("Inglorious Basterds," "National Treasure") is the best thing about the costume drama "Farewell, My Queen," playing a dithering Marie-Antoinette in the days before the fall of the French monarchy. Alas, the movie's not about Marie-Antoinette as much as it is her drab servant, Sibonie Laborde (Léa Seydoux, from "Midnight in Paris"), who watches all the machinations upstairs and downstairs.

Lastly — and you may only hear about this movie if you listen to right-wing talk radio — is the conservative documentary "2016: Obama's America," which features the anti-Obama viewpoint of author Dinesh D'Sousa. It wasn't screened for us "lamestream" critics, either.

Sean P. Means

SPORTS

High School Football • The season kicks off Friday night. Click here for a listing of games across the state.

Orem Owlz • Against Helena at Brant Brown Ballpark, 970 W. University Parkway in Orem. Game times 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 4 p.m. Sunday.

Salt Lake Bees • 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday against Memphis at Spring Mobile Ballpark, 77 W. 1300 South in Salt Lake City.

FC Dallas at Real Salt Lake • 7 p.m. Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium, 9256 S. State St. in Sandy. (Watch on Channel 4.)

STAGE ETC

"Wicked" • The national tour plays through Aug. 26; more tickets are available on Sundays and for shows near the end of the run; Tuesdays through Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 6:30 p.m. Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. $100-$195; http://www.ArtTix.org or http://www.magicspace.net/saltlakecity. (See Ben Fulton's review here.)

"Saturday's Voyeur 2012" • Musical satire of distinctive Mormon and Utah culture. Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinees at 1 and 6 p.m., through Sept. 2. Salt Lake Acting Company, 168 W. 500 North, Salt Lake City. $40-$55; http://www.saltlakeactingcompany.org/attend/buy-tickets. (Read Ben Fulton and Barbara Bannon's review here.)

MUSIC, ETC

Sharon Van Etten

Spotlight show • Please go to this show. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter was so broke during the 14-month recording process of her most recent album "Tramp" that she was essentially homeless, crashing on friends' couches and spending one night sleeping in her car. "You can't afford New York rent when you have a band," Etten said in a phone interview. "You don't make money in music. You just get by. It's pretty in-your-face that you're not going to make money." That kind of attitude has elevated her folk-influenced indie-rock to cult status, with fans that include Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and The National's Aaron Dressner, who produced "Tramp." Her music lays bare her insecurities and anxiety. "I think people like my music because it's vulnerable and then they can relate to that," the 31-year-old said. "I feel like I am not scared to show my music to other people."

When • Friday at 9 p.m.

Where • Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City

Tickets • $15 in advance, $17 day of, at 24Tix

The Hot Club of Zion CD release show

Gypsy jazz music by the Hot Club of Zion.

When • Friday at 7 p.m.

Where • Beehive Tea Room, 12 W. Broadway (300 South), Salt Lake City

Tickets • Free

Magna Music In The Park Concert featuring The Steve Walker Project

When • Friday at 7 p.m.

Where • Pleasant Green Park, 3270 S. 8400 West in Magna

Tickets • Free

Crescent Super Band

Saxophonist Jeff Coffin of the Dave Matthews Band will be special guest artist at this Gallivan Center concert, which is a fundraiser for the Utah's Carnegie Hall-bound Crescent Super Band.

When • Friday at 8 p.m.

Where • Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main St., Salt Lake City

Tickets • Free

The B.D. Howes Band

The B.D. Howes Band plays vintage, blues-based '60s and classic rock, with a concert that's a kickoff of the Rock 'N' Ribs Festival.

When • Saturday at 4 p.m.

Where • Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main St., Salt Lake City

Tickets • Free

Jeff Coffin

Jeff Coffin & the Mu'tet, a saxophonist and two-time Grammy Award-winning member of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, will perform a concert in conjunction with the Mt. Ogden 100K bike race.

When • Saturday at 7 p.m.

Where • Snowbasin Resort, 3925 E. Snowbasin Road, Huntsville

Tickets • $25 per carload

David Burger

Treehouse Children's Museum in Ogden • Free admission is offering free admission on Saturday as part of a Weber County program designed to raise awareness of local venues. Go to http://www.treehousemuseum.org for more information.

TV

The new show A Chance to Dance (Friday, 8 and 9 p.m., Ovation) comes to Utah trolling for talent — which is no surprise, given that it's produced by Nigel Lythgoe ("So You Think You Can Dance").

The goal is to put together a dance troupe on short notice. While it isn't exactly a competition, dancers from three auditions gather and about half of them are cut before the live show.

Friday on TV …

NFL preseason (6 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens

Teachers Rock (7 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Fun, Josh Groban and Garth Brooks perform at this salute to American teachers.

Lost Girl (8 and 10 p.m., Syfy): Bo tangles with Fae.

Common Law (11 p.m., USA): Wes and Travis tell their full story to Dr. Ryan.

Saturday on TV …

NFL preseason: New York Giants vs. New York Jets (5 p.m., NFL Network); Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos (7 p.m., Ch. 2.2); Dallas Cowboys at San Diego Chargers

Major League Soccer (7 p.m., Ch. 4): FC Dallas at Real Salt Lake

The Mormon Candidate (8 and 11 p.m., Current): This hourlong "investigation" of Mitt Romney's beliefs is paired with Becoming Barack (7 and 10 p.m., Current), which looks at the early years of President Obama's political career.

Sunday on TV ...

NFL preseason (6 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Brother (7 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): The contestants who will face possible elimination are chosen.

Hell on Wheels (7 and 9:38 p.m., AMC): Durant confronts a threat.

Drop Dead Diva (7 ands 11 p.m., Lifetime): Grayson and Kim take a case involving a sperm donor.

Falling Skies (7 and 9 p.m., TNT): Tom discovers life-changing news; the 2nd Mass faces a dangerous threat. (Season finale)

Breaking Bad (8, 9:38 and 11:38 p.m., AMC): Walt, Jesse and Mike are worried about the future of their business.

Copper (8 p.m., BBC America): In the premiere of BBC America's first original series, set in early 1900s New York, Det. Kevin Corcoran investigates the murder of a young girl.

Army Wives (8 p.m., Lifetime): Kevin returns home.

Flip Men (8 p.m., Spike): Mike and Doug struggle to remove a foul stench from a house.

The Great Escape (8 and 11 p.m., TNT): The teams try to escape from a swamp.

True Blood (10 p.m., HBO): Bill — who's getting more and more annoying — slips into some sort of religious fervor. Wow, this season has just gone off the rails.

The Newsroom (11 p.m., HBO): The staff stages a mock debate.

Weeds (11 p.m., Showtime): Nancy struggles with a decision involving a questionable business.

Political Animals (11 p.m., USA): In the conclusion of this six-part series, Garcetti tries to get in the way of Elaine's plans to resign.

Episodes (11:30 p.m., Showtime): Merc's job is in danger; Matt hooks up with his stalker.

Scott D. Pierce