6 Quirkiest Utah Towns To Visit In 2025

Utah may be known for its iconic national parks, such as Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, but in 2025, small towns are stealing the spotlight. Scattered between red-rock canyons, alpine ridges, and ancient petroglyphs are communities embracing their quirks with pride. From a refreshing escape beneath starry skies in Helper to tomato-themed farm festivals in Parowan, each destination offers a fresh and unexpected take on the Utah experience. These towns celebrate the offbeat with new events, local flair, and curious roadside charm, making them the perfect places to detour this year.

Kanab

Known as “Little Hollywood,” the southern Utah town of Kanab has hosted classic Westerns and blockbusters, from "Gunsmoke" to "Planet of the Apes." The cinematic town celebrates its big-screen legacy with the Little Hollywood Museum, a top attraction where movie sets and props bring the past to life in an open-air exhibit. Beyond the museum, the Moqui Cave, a glowing, sandstone cavern-turned-museum filled with fluorescent minerals and ancient dinosaur tracks, is another reason to visit Kanab in 2025.

When it comes to events, the Balloons and Tunes Roundup is one of the top ones in town. It features dozens of hot-air balloons rising with the sun, painting the sky above red rock mesas while music lovers gather for the Battle of the Bands. Other events to look forward to include Jacob Hamblin Days, a three-day rodeo event that offers an authentic taste of Western culture, and the Kanab Independence Day Celebration, which features a parade and a 5K run, followed by a block party in Jacob Hamblin Park with vendors, food, and fireworks lighting up the sky at night.

Helper

Once a mining and railroad town, Helper has undergone a creative renaissance, making it one of Utah’s most surprising destinations in 2025. Art galleries, whimsical murals, and indie coffee shops now line its historic streets, and the town’s Helper Museum offers insight into its roots, complete with model trains and underground mine exhibits. What sets Helper apart is that it's one of Utah’s few International Dark Sky Communities. Throughout the summer, astronomy events allow you to set up telescopes and witness meteor showers, planetary alignments, and dazzling skies over the Wasatch Plateau.

In addition to stargazing, events like the monthly First Friday Art Stroll, held the first Friday evening of every month, bring local galleries, artisans, and cafés to life in a spontaneous gallery crawl-like ambiance. The town celebrates creativity on a larger scale with the Helper Arts, Music & Film Festival, a multi-day showcase of performers, local filmmakers, pop-up galleries, and artisan food vendors. For the Christmas season, Helper's Utah's Christmas Town Festival brings the community together over the course of three weekends with events such as a craft fair, an electric light parade, and a fireworks show.

Monticello

Monticello offers travelers a strange blend of ancient wonders and cheeky charm in southeastern Utah. The best way to experience the town is by taking a scenic drive along the Abajo Loop Scenic Backway, which offers stunning views of the Abajo Mountains and the surrounding area. Another site to set your eyes on is Newspaper Rock, along the Indian Creek Scenic Byway. The historic state landmark is a huge draw as it features a rock panel etched with one of the biggest known collections of petroglyphs.

To see its quirky side, visit Jackalope Trading Company, a novelty gift shop that sells everything from artwork and Native American jewelry to mugs and clothing with jackalope themes. Beyond natural attractions and unique shopping experiences, annual events like the Monticello Pioneer Days make a trip there well worth it. The two-day celebration proudly commemorates the arrival of Mormon settlers to the Salt Lake Valley and includes a parade, a treasure hunt, a pickleball tournament, and fireworks. The San Juan County Fair, another event to attend in 2025, brings the community together with weeklong activities, including rodeos, livestock auctions, games, and live music.

Fairview

Fairview might be one of Utah’s best-kept secrets. The town’s centerpiece, the Fairview Museum of History and Art, houses a life-size Columbian mammoth replica alongside pioneer relics and stunning wildlife sculptures. It is the kind of place that perfectly showcases natural history and hometown pride. From there, take a short walk to Antler Mountain Company, which offers a taste of Fairview's local eccentricity. It is where elk and deer antlers are turned into lamps, chandeliers, and décor for mountain lodges, offering a unique experience.

For those seeking natural rejuvenation, the Fifth Water Hot Springs just outside of town offers a dreamy reward after a short hike along its trailhead. Back in town, attend signature events like the Fairview Pioneer Days Celebration. The multi-day event features a variety of activities for all ages, like sports tournaments, a rodeo, a car show, an artisan market, a demolition derby, a parade, and fireworks.

Spring City

Spring City, a historic town listed entirely on the National Register of Historic Places, is filled with 19th-century homes and sandstone buildings that tell a story at every corner. Beyond its old-fashioned ambiance, Spring City has quirky flair. Fill up your itinerary with brunch at Das Café, where bratwurst and sauerkraut share the menu with fluffy pancakes and Belgian waffles. Follow it up with a stop at Horseshoe Mountain Pottery, a charming pottery shop with a selection of handmade and wood-fired stoneware for your home.

Several events also occur throughout the year, including Heritage Day, with historic home tours, live music, art auctions, and hands-on demonstrations of blacksmithing and quilting. There is also Pioneer Day, which brings the community together over a fireman's breakfast and a parade, and the Spring City Arts Plein Air & Studio Tour, which allows art lovers a rare chance to step into local studios or watch artists painting landscapes, surrounded by mountain beauty.

Parowan

Parowan, a small southern Utah town, is where ancient rock carvings and community festivals share the spotlight. The Parowan Gap, located just outside town, features thousands of years of petroglyphs, including solar alignments and prehistoric calendars etched by early inhabitants. Nearby, real dinosaur tracks still imprint the sandstone, as if the Jurassic era never fully ended there.

Parowan’s quirkiest draw might be the Tomato Fest at Sweet Pea Farm and Orchard, with all the juicy glory of tomato tastings, garden games, and local food. Cider & Harvest Day, another event hosted there, allows you to pick apples, make cider, and munch on apple cider donuts. Beyond its signature events, throughout the summer, the farm offers hearty breakfasts every Saturday morning and a monthly dinner series featuring everything from burgers to barbecue.

Discovering Utah's Most Quirky Towns

If you are seeking more personal and peculiar experiences in 2025, then consider these six Utah communities. From shopping for jackalope mugs in Monticello, soaking in wild hot springs near Fairview, or wandering Spring City’s sandstone-lined streets, these places offer experiences beyond just the nearby national parks. Each one, from historic Parowan to reimagined Helper to the cinematic past of Kanab, invites you to slow down, engage with local stories, and find magic in the unexpected. This year, the quirkiest corners of Utah promise not just a getaway, but a journey filled with creativity, community, and a little bit of weirdness in the best way.