"Year after year, our athletes tell us that they come for the competition, but they come back for the camaraderie and the community they find here, both with like-minded athletes but also with this wonderful location and the people who call it home."
Kyle Case, CEO of the Huntsman World Senior Games, told St. George News that this year's Games will bring more than 12,000 competitors from more than 30 nations, with 40 sports to choose from. The Games run October 5 through 17, 2026. That window opens two days after the 50th St. George Marathon, which ran Saturday, October 3. It also opens one day after the PGA Tour's Bank of Utah Championship finishes today, October 4, at Black Desert Resort in Ivins.
The city's own free fall series doesn't wait for the Games to finish. Most of St. George's October events for locals start during those same 13 days, at parks and gardens the city keeps building onto. One of those parks breaks ground on its second phase in the middle of Games week.
Two Calendars, Laid Over Each Other
This table puts the Games and the city's fall events on one timeline, in date order.
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 18 – Oct. 31 | Staheli Farms Fall Festival | 3400 S. Washington Fields Road, Washington | See farm listing |
| Oct. 5 – 17 | Huntsman World Senior Games | Venues across Washington County | Competitor registration |
| Oct. 6, 7 p.m. | Senior Games Opening Ceremonies | Burns Arena, Utah Tech University | See Games site |
| Oct. 7 – 31, 5–10 p.m. nightly | Scarecrow Walk & Haunted Canyon | Red Hills Desert Garden, 375 E. Red Hills Parkway | Free |
| Oct. 9, 7 p.m. | Movie in the Park: Scooby-Doo | Historic Town Square | Free |
| Oct. 12, 7 p.m. | Concert in the Park: Rock Your World | Vernon Worthen Park | Free |
| Oct. 13, 5–7 p.m. | Thunder Junction 10-Year Anniversary and Phase II Groundbreaking | 1851 S. Dixie Drive | Free train rides |
| Oct. 27 – 30, 6–8 p.m. | Spook-track-ular | Thunder Junction | $8 per person, ages 2 and under free |
| Nov. 2, 5–8 p.m. | Day of the Dead | St. George Museum of Art | Free |
| Nov. 14 | Snow Canyon Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and Fun Run Walk n' Roll | Snow Canyon State Park route | Registration |
Four of the city's free events start between October 7 and October 13: the Scarecrow Walk, the movie, the concert and the Thunder Junction anniversary. All four begin while the Games are underway. Spook-track-ular, Day of the Dead and the Snow Canyon Half are the only listed events that start after the Games end.
Where the Games Actually Set Up
The 2026 venue map spreads competition across the county instead of concentrating it in one complex. The venues include:
- Dixie Convention Center, 1835 Convention Center Drive
- Washington County Legacy Park in Hurricane
- Tonaquint Tennis Complex
- Little Valley and Canyons softball facilities
- Snow Canyon State Park
- Several golf courses, plus a number of school and municipal facilities
Locals know these places as everyday parks, courts, courses and gyms. For two weeks they host athletes ranging into their 90s and beyond, including two centenarians. The full venue-by-venue schedule is on the Huntsman World Senior Games schedule page. It's the most useful page to check before heading to a ballfield or tennis court that week.
The opening ceremony on Tuesday, October 6, at 7 p.m. in Burns Arena includes Drum Cafe, a Parade of Athletes and a Guinness record attempt. Cornhole is new this year. The Games list it as "New in 2026," held in the Harmony Building at Washington County Legacy Park. Legacy Park shows up on both calendars this fall. The Southern Utah Home Show organizer lists it for October 30 to November 1, but that page's metadata is old enough that the date should be confirmed closer to the event.
The Week Thunder Junction Turns Ten
The Thunder Junction All-Abilities Park is inside Tonaquint Park at 1851 S. Dixie Drive. It has a dinosaur theme, fully wheelchair-accessible playground equipment, a climbing wall, a volcano, a splash pad and a quarter-scale C.P. Huntington train on a 2,700-foot track. Many of the park's staff members are individuals with special needs. Admission to the park is free, and it's open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fall train hours, which started August 31, are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Rides cost $2, and the train is closed Sundays.
The October 13 celebration runs from 5 to 7 p.m., with free train rides and the Phase II groundbreaking. The City Council's October 1 agenda describes Phase II as:
- An entrance building
- A "snowy mountain" building with a train stop, restrooms, storage and a water feature
- Shade structures
- New play equipment and playground surfacing
The packet recommended awarding the construction contract to Mint Construction, LLC for $3,710,224.61. Mint submitted the low bid out of three received, which the same packet lists at $3,710,224.31. It lists the project under the FY 2027 Business Plan as a 2023 Trails, Parks and Recreation G.O. Bond project. St. George News reported a $200,000 Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant toward Phase II and listed the total project cost at $3.8 million. The city is also seeking sponsorships toward a $1 million goal on its Phase II page. The agenda materials don't show the vote result or a completion date. The groundbreaking marks the start of construction, and no opening date has been announced.
This is the second shared public venue the city has rebuilt in a year. The renovation of the Dixie Sunbowl downtown started last fall, with Hughes General Contractors leading the work. The arena now has about 7,400 seats, concessions on both sides, plus new shade structures, restrooms, lighting, sound and accessibility features. The arena floor was made smaller to bring spectators closer to the action. The renovated Sunbowl hosted the 93rd Dixie Roundup Rodeo on September 17 to 19.
Eating Along the Corridors That Grew This Year
With Games competitors spread across the county, many of the newest places to eat are on the east and south sides, where development has been busiest this year.
River Road. St. George News' "What's Going There" series reported in late September on several recent openings around 2450 South and River Road, including Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins and Canyon Pizza Co. Farther south, White Dome Plaza sits at River Road and White Dome Drive just off the Southern Parkway. It already has Maverik, Virtual Greens Golf Club and Twisted Sugar, and a new Honolulu Grill is under construction and expected to open in the coming months. At River Road and Quarry Ridge Drive, a building under construction will hold a Lin's Fresh Market, an Ace Hardware and an Arctic Circle.
Desert Color, SunRiver and Pioneer Road. A mid-September update from the same series reported that the new St. George In-N-Out, Cafe Rio's fourth Washington County location and Mo' Bettahs were open. Panda Express, Dutch Bros Coffee and The Break Sports Grill were preparing to open, and Brooker's Founding Flavors was expected in the Pioneer Road area within the next few months.
Sunset Boulevard and River Road north. Santo Forno is open on Sunset Boulevard. A 7 Brew is listed as coming soon at 1500 W. Sunset Blvd., and Raising Cane's is planned for the former Golden Corral at 42 S. River Road. None of those have announced opening dates.
Two summer openings. Araujo Brazilian Kitchen officially opened June 25, 2026, according to St. George News. Its address is The Shoppes at Zion, 250 N. Red Cliffs Drive, Suite 16B. Its own website still says "Opening Soon," so check hours before going. Mint Indian Bistro's new 2720 East location was already serving customers in June.
The "coming soon" timelines come from the series' report dates and can change. The host also said a new road from the convention center area is coming that "is going to change the landscape of this area." No timeline was given.
After the 17th
When the Games end on October 17, the Scarecrow Walk & Haunted Canyon still has two weeks left at Red Hills Desert Garden. It stays free every night through October 31. Staheli Farms in Washington Fields closes its fall season the same day. Thunder Junction, just past its groundbreaking, hosts Spook-track-ular from Tuesday, October 27, to Friday, October 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $8, and kids 2 and under get in free.
November starts with the St. George Museum of Art's free Day of the Dead celebration on November 2, from 5 to 8 p.m. On November 14, the Snow Canyon Half Marathon sends runners through Snow Canyon State Park, a month after the same park hosted Games competition.
Jason works with owners across Utah, from Park City to Washington County, who want local knowledge that goes beyond the listing sheet. If you're weighing how the River Road and Desert Color growth changes your part of St. George, or you have questions about your own property, Jason Jentzsch is happy to talk it through. Let's Connect.
