Cedar City, with a population of 27,000, is the largest community in Iron County and is located at the mouth of Coal Creek in south-central Utah. Its elevation is 5,800 feet above sea level, and it lies in a semi-arid part of the state with 10,000-foot mountains to the east and a vast desert area to the west. Here in Cedar City you will discover a unique small city complete with world-renowned theatricals, astounding beauty, and unbelievable outdoor recreation. To learn more about Cedar City, please visit their official website at: www.cedarcity.org
Settlement began on 11 November 1851 with the arrival of a group of thirty-five men from Parowan, twenty miles northward, to establish an iron works. They were organized and traveled in two militia companies--a foot company and a cavalry company--under the direction of Henry Lunt. The actual settlement site on the north bank of Coal Creek had been selected a week earlier by George A. Smith and a committee consisting of Matthew Carruthers, Henry Lunt, William C. Mitchell, John L. Smith, and Elisha H. Groves.
Small cottonwood log houses were built fort-style at the western base of the hill. The settlement was given the name of Fort Cedar because of the abundance of trees which were called "cedar" trees, although they are actually junipers.
The boxes from the wagons were removed and used for temporary shelters while small log homes were constructed from the trunks and large limbs of cottonwood trees as well as float material found along the creek bottoms several miles to the west. As the log houses were completed, families were brought from Parowan. In the meantime, the wagon boxes served as a temporary fort. Later, a site for the fort was selected nearer the proposed blast furnace, at the present city park, which was to have been a "company town" but was not developed. When Indian difficulties threatened, the location of the fort was questioned as the nearby hill gave the Indians a decided tactical advantage. Also, as more and more iron workers arrived, the fort became too small. A new and larger site was selected on the south bank of the stream adjoining the old site to the southwest. This was partially occupied in the early months of 1853 by those who wanted to move and by new arrivals. With the outbreak of hostilities with the Indians in July 1853 (the Walker Indian War), a forced evacuation of the entire fort was made in two days to the new site.
The northeast part of the new area, which was a half-mile square, was enclosed within a wall, leaving some of the lots on the west and south outside the wall. It was completed in January 1854. Interstate Highway 15 now bisects this old town site.
Two years later (June 1855), another site, closer to the blast furnace and out of the flood plain of Coal Creek, was surveyed and occupied at the suggestion of Brigham Young. This is the present site of Cedar City.
Beginning with the demise of the iron works in 1858, the town's economy became agrarian in nature although iron mining continued strongly through World War II and into the 1980s. The coming of the railroad to Cedar City in 1923 exposed Utah's national parks to the world of tourism, and Cedar City was promoted as the "Gateway to the Parks." The railroad also provided an outlet for the products of the iron mines. Presently the city's economy is based on tourism, agriculture, some mining activities, some industrial and space-age complexes, and Southern Utah University with an enrollment of 7,000 students. The college was founded in 1897 as a branch of the State Normal School (University of Utah). In 1913 it became a branch of the Utah State Agricultural College of Logan. In 1968 the state legislature transformed it into a four-year college of liberal arts and sciences with elementary and secondary teacher education programs.
On 1 January 1991 it attained university status and its present name.
Attractions
(The following list of Cedar City attractions has been sourced from: http://www.cedarcity.org/index.aspx?nid=176 and http://www.cedarcity.org/index.aspx?NID=302. To learn more about any of the individual attractions listed below, please click on their associated links.)
A community surrounded by National Parks, Cedar City offers visitors, friends and residents the opportunity to experience a wealth of variety. One can enjoy the Tony Award Winning Utah Shakespearean Festival in the summer and fall, or ride the fresh powder of Brian Head Ski Resort during the winter months. The Iron Mission State Park is open year-round in the heart of Cedar City. The Heritage Center presents an assortment of plays, symphonies, ballets, art shows and multitude of cultural events and entertainment.
Acclamation
Originally created in 1990, Acclamation is a company of singers and dancers who present lively, upbeat, and family-friendly shows throughout the state. An average Acclamation show includes a variety of musical styles, lively choreography, talented student performers, and more.
Adams Shakespearean Theater http://www.bard.org/about/theatres.html
Experts say it is one of a few theatres that probably comes close to the design of the Globe Theatre in which Shakespeare's plays were originally produced.
American Folk Ballet http://www.suu.edu/pva/afb/
A 20-member professional dance troupe accompanied by singing and narration that is dedicated to presenting the heritage of the American spirit. The works of its founder, choreographer Burch Mann, are at the core of the company’s repertoire. The group has performed across the United States and internationally with programs focusing on the roots, folk history, substance and style of the American experience. The work communicates the spirit of a nation and its people through a unique form of expressive dance based on classical ballet styles.
Blue Sage Gallery & Frame Shop http://www.bluesageart.com/
proudly shows original works by local artists. Their variety of exhibits showcases ceramics, glass, photography, sculpture, jewelry, mixed media, original fine art prints, and a wide assortment of paintings and drawings.
Braithwaite's Fine Arts Gallery http://www.suu.edu/pva/artgallery/ Braithwaite's Fine Arts Gallery provides dynamic and varied visual arts experiences for the people of southern Utah. The gallery mounts educational exhibits throughout the year, offers programs related to its exhibitions, preserves and collects fine art, and serves as a resource center for the visual arts on the SUU campus and in Cedar City and the surrounding communities.
Randall L. Jones Theater http://www.bard.org/about/theatres.html
was dedicated in 1989 to expand the Shakespearean Festival's offerings, especially in the area of world classics
The Spanish Trail Suite http://www.videoideas.com/spanishtrailsuite/
The Spanish Trail Suite celebrates the three cultures which converge in Cedar City: Paiute, Hispanic, and Pioneer. The Orchestra of Southern Utah commissioned the work after the Spanish Trail was declared a national trail in 2002 with help from the National Endowment of the Arts and local foundations.
Heritage Center Theater http://www.heritagectr.org/
The Heritage Center Performing Arts Theater lies in the heart of downtown Cedar City and is well renown for its stunning architecture and beautiful interior. The Theater can seat nearly 1,000 people and is often used for community performing groups, professional tours and business conferences. The main lobby can be used for weddings, art shows and receptions. Cedar City Artisans http://www.mycedarcity.org/artisans/index.php Cedar City Artisans, formed in 2009, is a community arts organization dedicated to promoting the arts in Cedar City by encouraging individual artists and craftsmen. The goal of Artisans is to nurture the development of local artists and artisans by providing support services that facilitate the advancement, exposure and sale of their work.
Artisans is dedicated to showcasing and selling the handmade works of local artists and artisans. The emphasis is strictly on locally made products and the development of an inclusive, cohesive and productive art community. Items offered by the gallery are handmade, by the artist offering them for sale; there are no resale items, no mass-produced items and no items offered by third parties.
Cedar City adopted the nickname "The Festival City" in the late 1980s, chiefly as a tagline to underscore the stature of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, but also to incorporate the Utah Summer Games, the state's largest sports festival and other festivals. In 2004, Cedar City became known as "Festival City USA," due to its current offering of some 17 festivals year-round.
Southern Utah University is the home of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, which provides an important economic and cultural infusion to the area. The professional quality of the plays produced each summer, employing talented professionals from all over the United States, is becoming known around the world.
The University also sponsors the Utah Summer Games, a sports festival involving some 50 different sports. Other festivals include the American Children’s Christmas Festival, Groovefest, SkyFest, the Neil Simon Festival, Himmelsk, The Great American Stampede, the Cedar City Livestock and Heritage Festival, the Cowboy Gathering, July Jamboree, the Utah Renaissance Faire and the Paiute Restoration Gathering among others. Cedar City has thus also become known as the “Festival City USA” For a complete list of Festivals, please click here: http://cedarcity.org/index.asp?NID=61
Area Parks
(The following list of area parks has been individually sourced from each park’s website. To learn more, please click on each park’s associated link.)
Bryce Canyon National Park
Famous for its unique geology of red rock spires and horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters, Bryce offers the visitor a "Far View" from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah.
Zion http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion.htm
Designated in 1919, Zion is Utah's oldest national park. Most park facilities are located in the Zion Canyon area, and it attracts the most visitors. The Kolob Canyons and Kolob Terrace sections are good choices for travelers who want to see the park's backcountry. All three areas feature Zion's trademark soaring towers and monoliths. The park is known for its incredible canyons, including The Narrows, which attract canyoneers from around the world. Hiking possibilities are endless. With nearly three million visitors per year, Zion is Utah's most heavily used park.
Adams Shakespearean Theater
Experts say it is one of a few theatres that probably comes close to the design of the Globe Theatre in which Shakespeare's plays were originally produced.
When Indian difficulties threatened, the location of the fort was questioned as the nearby hill gave the Indians a decided tactical advantage. Also, as more and more iron workers arrived, the fort became too small. A new and larger site was selected on the south bank of the stream adjoining the old site to the southwest. This was partially occupied in the early months of 1853 by those who wanted to move and by new arrivals. With the outbreak of hostilities with the Indians in July 1853 (the Walker Indian War), a forced evacuation of the entire fort was made in two days to the new site. 
Braithwaite's Fine Arts Gallery provides dynamic and varied visual arts experiences for the people of southern Utah. The gallery mounts educational exhibits throughout the year, offers programs related to its exhibitions, preserves and collects fine art, and serves as a resource center for the visual arts on the SUU campus and in Cedar City and the surrounding communities. 
Cedar City adopted the nickname "The Festival City" in the late 1980s, chiefly as a tagline to underscore the stature of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, but also to incorporate the Utah Summer Games, the state's largest sports festival and other festivals. In 2004, Cedar City became known as "Festival City USA," due to its current offering of some 17 festivals year-round. 
