Here are 5 cool events in downtown Salt Lake City this fall

Summer has passed, and fall is upon us — which means it’s time for performing arts groups in Salt Lake City to launch their 2022-2023 seasons.

It’s something of a tradition for theater groups to launch their seasons in September, according to the American Society for Theater Research. From the Utah Symphony to Pioneer Theatre Company, there’s an abundance of arts and culture events to frequent this time of year.

We’ve highlighted five things to see and experience in downtown Salt Lake City this fall.

‘Tower of Terror’

Salt Lake Film Society • Fridays and Saturdays, now through Oct. 28.

You can’t have a great fall season without horror films. The Salt Lake Film Society understands that, and will screen movies on Fridays and Saturdays, at 9 p.m., from now to Oct. 28 at the Broadway Centre Cinemas, 111 E. 300 South, Salt Lake City.

This weekend, director John Carpenter is in the spotlight, with his alien-invasion movie “The Thing” on Friday and his 1978 original slasher film “Halloween” on Saturday.

Other titles left on the slate are: “It Follows,” “One Cut of the Dead,” the original “Suspiria,” “The Shining,” “The Exorcist” (the 2000 recut version), and the filmed-in-Utah “Hereditary.”

For tickets, go to slfstix.org.

Fall festivals

The Gateway • Oct. 8 and 22

Some of The Gateway’s early fall events — like Festa Italiana and the Frida Fiesta — have already passed. But more are still coming.

On Saturday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., the Hibernian Society of Utah will hold the Samhain Celtic Halloween and Harvest festival. The festival celebrates Irish culture, from pipe bands to dance companies, and the best of Irish food and drink in the state. There will be prizes available for the best costumes.

On Oct. 22, from 6 to 9 p.m., The Gateway gets a head start on Halloween with its Pumpkin Festival. Local artists will create hand-carved and painted pumpkins, and fans can vote on their favorites. Music, crafts, photo ops, games and zombies are part of the fun. And it’s free.

‘Onegin’

Ballet West • Oct. 21-29

Ballet West kicks off its season with “Onegin,” a 19th-century tale of the young Tatiana falling in love for the first time — with the jaded aristocrat Onegin.

It’s based on Russian author Alexander Pushkin’s novel-in-verse “Eugene Onegin,” and uses music by Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky, who wrote an opera based on the book.

Performances are at the Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Single tickets are on sale now, at BalletWest.org.

‘Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1′

Utah Symphony, Films in Concert series • Oct. 27-29

The Utah Symphony has an exquisite lineup of concerts for its 2022-2023 season, the last for conductor and music director Thierry Fischer — with the fall featuring works by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, and an appearance, Nov. 18-19, by Broadway legend Bernadette Peters.

One of the symphony’s more popular offerings is the “Films In Concert” series, playing live scores to movies. It’s a perfect fall activity for the whole family, introducing younger listeners to the symphony experience and adding excitement to seeing the movie.

On Oct. 27-29, the movie being screened is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” the seventh in the franchise, as the Hogwarts heroes Harry, Hermione and Ron go on the run to find Voldemort’s hidden horcruxes.

The screenings happen at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. More information can be found at utahsymphony.org.

“My Brother Was A Vampire”

Plan-B Theatre • Nov. 3-13

Plan-B Theatre’s November entry is billed as a “horror comedy that follows a bizarre, broken, and blisteringly brazen journey in reverse.” “My Brother Was A Vampire” will be playwright Morag Shepherd’s fourth premiere with the company, which always puts on experimental, thought-provoking plays.

It follows the story of two siblings who face mortality in different ways, and goes backward in time. Shepherd has always had a knack for interweaving elements of the supernatural in her work.

Performances are at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Single tickets can be bought at planbtheatre.org.