Part of the joy of the Utah Arts Festival is holding a snow cone in your hand and drifting around to the different stages hearing music you didn't even know you would enjoy.

Rock fans find jazz. Jazz fans find hip-hop. Hip-hop fans find country.

But if you're the type of person who wants to maximize your time at the premier Utah arts festival, here are some picks that should not disappoint.

Just remember to buy a snow cone.

Wailing O' Sheas » today, noon to 12:45 p.m., Plaza Stage . Three members of this local Celtic rock quartet double as The Gorgeous Hussies, an emerging local rock band. John Chatelain, Jordan Olsen and Ryan Smith are The Gorgeous Hussies, but for the O'Sheas they add Andy Reiner on fiddle for Celtic punk rock inspired by Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys and the Pogues. Check these guys out during your lunch break.

Band of Annuals » today, 10 to 11 p.m., Park Stage . Jay Henderson, Jeremi Hanson, Brent Dreiling, Trever Hadley, Jamie Timm and Charlie Lewis work together to make some of the most original alt-country in the region. Since they tour all over the nation, it's a treat to see them in their hometown. Bring a cold beer to this late-night show, and stay up past your bedtime.

Lenny Pickett with the Crescent Super Band » Saturday, 8 to 9 p.m., Festival Stage . This is a double-treat, considering that the local high-schoolers in the Super Band are still going strong despite the closure of the band's birthplace, American Fork's Music School. The second treat is that Lenny Pickett, the floppy-haired "Saturday Night Live" bandleader since 1995, will sit in. This will be a night of high-energy jazz live, not from New York, but Utah.

Mana Poly All-Stars » Saturday, 8:45 to 9:30 p.m., Park Stage . Immediately after the Lenny Pickett show, rush over to the Park Stage (without spilling your nachos) to see this Utah band's unique mix of Polynesian music and reggae. The group has been on a winning streak lately, earning a nomination for R&B/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, Hawaii's version of the Grammy Awards, while its song, "Gunshots," was this year's Social Action Song winner at the eighth annual Independent Music Awards.

blue haiku » Sunday, 8 to 8:45 p.m., Festival Stage . Now for something completely different: a chamber-folk quartet with composer/guitarist/vocalist Phillip Bimstein, oboist Charlotte Bell, violinist Flavia Cerviño-Wood and poet/bassist Harold Carr. They perform an intoxicating, upbeat mix of classical and folk with oboes, the English horn, violin, guitar, upright bass and, of course, singing. The four musicians are also members of Red Rock Rondo, a six-piece band that has had an award-winning year for a song cycle about Zion National Park.

Ruthie Foster » Sunday, 9:45 to 11 p.m., Amphitheater Stage . End the great weekend with an R&B performer who wowed crowds at last year's Snowbird Rock & Blues Festival. (She's not local, but give her a break.) The soulful Texan songstress grew up in a family of gospel singers, and her sultry, full-bodied voice has been compared to Aretha Franklin's.

This is by no means a complete list of every music artist you should hear, so have fun exploring the different stages. Keep your ears open and your belly festive. (As for the snow cones, try the Tiger's Blood flavor. Trust me.)