

City Cast Salt Lake
City Cast
City Cast Salt Lake is SLC’s daily news podcast. Join host Ali Vallarta and a bevy of smart and entertaining locals for conversations about the issues that matter most. City Cast Salt Lake will celebrate the city’s triumphs, explore its history, (try to) solve its mysteries, and it’ll help you feel more connected to the Wasatch Front – whether you’ve lived here for six months or six generations. Learn more and subscribe to our daily newsletter at saltlake.citycast.fm.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 9, 2025 • 26min
Getting SLC to a Perfect Score on LGBTQ+ Policy
What policies should be in place to get Salt Lake City to 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index? Salt Lake City Council Chair Chris Wharton joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about where there is room for improvement.
Interested in learning more? Find out how queer Salt Lake really is.
Get more from City Cast Salt Lake when you become a City Cast Salt Lake Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members-only events, and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm.
Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
The Shop
Utah Arts Festival
Canyon View Credit Union
Red Butte Garden

Jun 6, 2025 • 32min
Supreme Court Win for Utah Oil, Nuclear Startups, Deadly Kittens
The U.S. Supreme Court just ruled on a Utah project — to mixed reviews. Host Ali Vallarta, executive producer Emily Means, and City Cast Salt Lake contributor Chandler Rosenberg share knee-jerk reactions and discuss the potential impacts of the ruling. Plus, what to do when elected officials disappoint you, dangerously cute kittens, and sailing on the Great Salt Lake.
Resources and references:
Uinta Basin Railway gets green light as Supreme Court narrows scope of environmental law [FOX 13]
Utah’s agreement with nuclear startup allows for more than just a test reactor. Here’s what it says. [Salt Lake Tribune]
Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.
Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Utah Arts Festival
Salt Lake Sewciety
Red Butte Garden
West Valley Arts
Live Crude - Get $10 off your first CRUDE purchase with promo code CITYCASTSLC.
Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.

Jun 5, 2025 • 20min
A Utah Drag Queen’s Guide To Pride Month 2025
Host Ali Vallarta asks local drag queen Tara Lipsyncki how to spend Pride Month in Utah, from parties to family friendly shows and cheap ways to celebrate.
Resources and references:
The New Normal for All-Ages Drag Shows [City Cast Salt Lake]
The Rallying Cry for Utah Gay Rodeo [City Cast Salt Lake]
Get more from City Cast Salt Lake when you become a City Cast Salt Lake Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm.
Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Utah Arts Festival
Salt Lake Sewciety
Red Butte Garden
West Valley Arts

Jun 4, 2025 • 15min
Are You Falling For This Concert Ticket Scam?
Many Salt Lakers are getting ripped off when it comes to buying concert tickets. Venue professional and avid concert goer Aja Vogelman joins Ali Vallarta to break down how you can avoid getting scammed and go through ticketing basics everyone should know.
Head to shows often? Listen to the best tips and tricks for concert going.
Get more from City Cast Salt Lake when you become a City Cast Salt Lake Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm.
Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Utah Arts Festival
Salt Lake Sewciety
Red Butte Garden
West Valley Arts

Jun 3, 2025 • 35min
Starter Condos,‘Mountainhead’ Debrief, Pride Month Opportunity
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wants 35,000 new starter homes; could some of them be condos? Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means give the latest update on the housing market. Plus, "Mountainhead" movie hilarity, and shoutouts.Resources and references:
‘We desperately need to do more’: Utah Gov. Cox convenes mayors to urge more action on housing [Utah News Dispatch]
Where Condos Fit in Salt Lake’s Housing Crisis [City Cast Salt Lake]
The ‘Mountainhead’ House [Realtor.com]
Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.
Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Utah Arts Festival
Salt Lake Sewciety
Red Butte Garden
West Valley Arts
Cozy Earth - Go to cozyearth.com and use code COZYSALTLAKE for 40% off all men's apparel and more
Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.

Jun 2, 2025 • 18min
Why Won't Utah Arrest Fugitive Ammon Bundy?
Anti-government zealot Ammon Bundy is hiding in plain sight in southern Utah, dodging a warrant for his arrest. Host Ali Vallarta asks former journalist turned environmental advocate Kate Groetzinger why local police won't bring him in and how Bundy's extremism intersects with Utah's stance on public lands.
Read: the Salt Lake Tribune's reporting and Q&A with Ammon Bundy
Related listening: Does Utah’s Public Lands Story Hold Up? [City Cast Salt Lake]
Get more from City Cast Salt Lake when you become a City Cast Salt Lake Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm.
Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Utah Arts Festival
Salt Lake Sewciety
Red Butte Garden
West Valley Arts

May 30, 2025 • 36min
SLC Policing Changes? Double Decker Tour Bus, Park City HBO Movie
It's been five years since Salt Lakers hit the streets to protest police violence, and footage of a recent SLCPD shooting was released just this week. Host Ali Vallarta, executive producer Emily Means, and UVU Center for Social Impact director Cassie Bingham break down the short and long-term changes since summer 2020. Plus, we rate the city’s latest tourist attraction, great boba, and the new HBO movie filmed in Park City.
Resources and references:
5 years after George Floyd protests, Salt Lake police reform faces headwinds [KUER]
Reimagine Safety [Washington Post]
SLC's new "hop on, hop off" bus tour
Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.
Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Live Crude - Get $10 off your first CRUDE purchase with promo code CITYCASTSLC.
Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.

May 29, 2025 • 26min
Your Guide to June 2025 in Salt Lake
June is the official start of summer in Salt Lake City, and things are heating up. Host Ali Vallarta, producer Ivana Martinez, and Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria bring you a guide to what to expect and how to make the most of this month, from flower markets to frozen treats to a can't-miss skyline tour. Plus, if you're looking for ways to use your new state parks pass, don't miss our episode on alternatives to Utah's national parks.
If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Salt Lake community.
For even more tips on how to make the most of June in Salt Lake, check out Hey Salt Lake’s take on what to do this month.
City Cast Salt Lake is made possible by our awesome sponsor, the Utah Arts Festival. We’re also powered by our members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more about how to become a member of City Cast Salt Lake.
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Check out our options.
Reach us at saltlake@citycast.fm.

May 28, 2025 • 18min
Did Salt Lake Save the Wrong Bee?
The good news: We saved the honeybees. The bad news: It may have come at the expense of Utah's native pollinators. Host Ali Vallarta asks researcher Jesse Margolies to make the economic case for saving local bees and to explain how Salt Lakers can help.
This episode first aired May 20, 2024.
Get more from City Cast Salt Lake when you become a City Cast Salt Lake Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm.
Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

May 27, 2025 • 27min
A Guide to Fixing Things in Your SLC Neighborhood
Need a pothole fixed or want extra signage in your neighborhood, but don’t know where to start? Weston Clark, community outreach director for the Salt Lake City Mayor’s office, and executive producer Emily Means create a practical how-to guide to getting things done in your city.
Resources and references:
Check out the mySLC App.
Plus, who to call for even more problems in your neighborhood. [Hey Salt Lake]
Is Historic Preservation a Tool for NIMBYs or Affordability? [City Cast Salt Lake]
Get more from City Cast Salt Lake when you become a City Cast Salt Lake Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm.
Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.
Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.
Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Live Crude - Get $10 off your first CRUDE purchase with promo code CITYCASTSLC.
Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.


