Monster Jam 2014 – Salt Lake City

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Utah County Mom

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January 13, 2014

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FOR MORE CAR-CRUSHING MONSTER TRUCK ACTION

**New Sunday Event Added to the Schedule

Plus The Utah Debut Driving Appearance of Grave Digger Icon Dennis Anderson**

Tickets Now on Sale for Four Events at the EnergySolutions Arena from February 14–16

WHAT: Motor sports fans will witness EIGHT of the world’s best monster trucks battle it out in the ultimate event of intense speed, racing and destruction as Monster Jam® returns to Salt Lake City – and due to popular demand, a fourth event has been added on Sunday to the schedule now. The 2014 truck line-up is highlighted by the Salt Lake City debut driving appearance of Grave Digger® legend and four time World Finals Champion Dennis Anderson plus first time truck appearances for Scooby-Doo™ and Lucas Oil Crusader®. Additional fan-favorite trucks include Captain’s Curse®, Time Fly’s, Bounty Hunter, Iron Outlaw along with Utah’s own Maverick (driven by Ron Duncombe) that will be electrifying crowds at the EnergySolutions Arena with the breathtaking stunts and awesome power of the world’s most popular monster trucks.

In addition to the world-class racing and freestyle competition action, die-hard fans can come to the stadium early on Saturday to enjoy the“Party in the Pits” pre-show experience – which gives fans unparalleled access to view their favorite trucks up-close, meet the star drivers for autographs and take photos!

One of the most popular touring family entertainment sporting events in the world, Monster Jam is a high-flying, car-crushing explosive event of demolition, speed and powerful stunts surrounding the world’s best monster trucks and drivers whose skills provide an awesome spectacle of “rock-and-roar” that will bring fans to their feet cheering for more!

WHERE: EnergySolutions Arena

301 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

WHEN: Friday, February 14^th Sunday, February 16^th (**New Show Added**)

Event Time – 7:30PM Event Time – 1:00PM

Saturday, February 15^th

“Party in the Pits” open from 11:00AM–12:45PM

**Saturday event ticket and Pit Pass required for entry

(Pit Pass purchase price is $10 Adults; $5 Kids; available at venue box office or online at SmithsTix.com)

Event Time – 2:00PM & 7:30PM

TICKETS: Ticket prices are $22 and $30 for Adults; Kids tickets only $5 each for select seating.

**Above ticket prices are advance purchase only; all tickets priced $2 more day of show. Tickets subject to convenience, service and handling fees.

Tickets are available for purchase at the EnergySolutions Arena Box Office, participating Smith’s grocery stores, online at www.smithstix.com, or charge by phone at 800-888-TIXX.

SPECIAL Maverik Adventures First Stop is offering a $5 discount coupon at participating Maverik

OFFERS: locations with the purchase of 8 gallons of gas.

For more information and updates log onto www.MonsterJam.com.

Specific Salt Lake City event information available at http://www.monsterjam.com/Events/2014/02/14/Salt_Lake_City,_UT/

# # #

About Feld Motor Sports℠

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Monster Jam^®, Monster Energy^® Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Freestyle Motocross, Nuclear Cowboyz℠ and IHRA^® Nitro Jam^®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world’s largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.

Lowe’s Build & Grow, February 2014

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Utah County Mom

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January 13, 2014

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Your children have the opportunity to make a Love Note Holder on Saturday, February 8 at Lowe’s for their Build & Grow Program. Make sure you register your kids at your local Lowe’s for this great opportunity!

5 Tips to Improve Credit Scores

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Utah County Mom

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January 13, 2014

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Are you thinking about purchasing a home? Knowing and improving your credit score should be on your list of things to do before you start looking for a home. No matter what lender you finance with, one of the first things they will do is pull your credit report and break down every loan, credit card, late payment etc. to establish your worthiness of getting a loan. To qualify for a mortgage, your credit score is actually the second factor taken into consideration for your pre-approval (first is your income). With this level of importance it is well worth your time to prepare beforehand and make sure all of your accounts are in good standing. Here is a list of 5 ways to improve your credit score based on scenarios I have experienced with borrowers in the past.

1. Check Your Score – Don’t Let it Surprise You

Knowing what needs to be fixed is half of the battle. There are many occasions where borrowers will come in and we will look over their credit report and they’ll say, “What is that doing there? I don’t have that anymore.” or something similar. Each year you are given a free credit report (which can be obtained here) without the pull affecting your score. There are many companies out there saying they can give you a free credit report but it’s important to get your information from a reliable source. Keep in mind that the credit report that you pull as a consumer is going to be different than what the car salesman or mortgage lender pulls.

2. Use Your Credit Cards – Seriously

This doesn’t mean that you should go out and open a bunch of new credit cards and max them out, that is far from the truth. A good rule of thumb is to pay down your current credit card balances to have more available credit. Keeping your card balances low or even maintaining a zero balance is a good thing. The more credit available you have on your card looks good on your report, so having $5000 available credit looks much better than $1000. A key to think about is consistently using those cards. A history of credit card use with a good routine of paying your credit card bills shows the reporting agencies you’re responsible and it’s reflected in your score. A big mistake people commonly make is paying off their credit cards and getting rid of them completely. This adversely affects your credit score because you’ve lost that history of good credit and consistently paying your debts.

3. Contact a Credit Counselor They Don’t Bite

Contacting a Credit Counselor will not decrease your credit score. They will look over your situation and see what can be done to help you make your payments. If you are having trouble making payments on time a bit advice would be to call the creditor and ask what options are available to adjust your repayment plan. This is a much better course than not making payments at all and defaulting on the loan. You would be surprised how much banks and other lenders will be willing to work with you if you ask.

4. Credit History is Your Friend – Including Old Debts

One of the biggest factors of your credit score is your history. That can be anything from current credit cards to a car or house you paid off already. It may surprise you but your payment history determines 35% of your score and the length of your credit history is another 15%. After paying off a large debt many people think they need to get it off their record to improve their score, not true. Trying to get rid of old debt that you have paid off is “like making straight A’s in high school and trying to expunge the record 20 years later,” says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education for SmartCredit.com. “You never want that stuff to come off your history.” Your credit history can help you, particularly if you have had a stellar track record of making payments.

5. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

I cannot stress this enough. Being on time and consistent with your bill payments is the best remedy to improving anyone’s credit score. One tip is to set up payment reminders on your phone, iPad, laptop, or anywhere that you will see on a daily basis. This will prevent the annoying 30 days late dings to your credit score.

There is not an easy ‘fix’ to your credit score unless of course something was misreported. It takes time and patience to rebuild your credit after a financial mishap. It’s true that unexpected financial emergencies happen but the best advice in regards to helping your credit score is to maintain a good payment history (as best you can), to keep long term lines of credit open, and to monitor your score on a yearly basis.

Travis Van Noy
Loan Originator NMLS #1065251
130 W. Center St., Ste. 201, Orem, UT 84057
Office: 801.437.4577 Fax: 801.437.4575 Cell: 775.772.7858
email: [email protected]

Thank you to Travis Van Noy of First Colony Mortgage for providing this post!

Woodbury Art Museum Opening Reception, January 2014

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Utah County Mom

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January 10, 2014

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Come see our community based exhibition series, pairing Fiber Arts created by Utah County residents and our Memory Care Project – watercolors created by residents at Provo Rehabilitation & Nursing. This celebration will be held in conjunction with Creativity Matters! with Susan Perlstein, held earlier that day.

The Opening Reception will be held January 17, 2014 from 6-8 pm. See new exhibitions, meet the artist, and enjoy some refreshments – all for free!

Deals & Steals for the Weekend, 1/10

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Utah County Mom

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January 10, 2014

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What are you doing this weekend? Planning to eat out? Here’s a few deals that we found to make this weekend a little unique and inexpensive:

Acitivities

$25 for 2 hours at Soldier Hollow
Get tickets to free Sundance film screenings
Winter Trails Day – Saturday, January 11 is National Winter Trails Day with Midway, Logan, and Ogden participating in free trails
Free Snowmobile Open House – January 11 from 9 am – 2 pm at Soldier Hollow Club House. Youth ages 8-15 are invited to take a free youth snowmobile education course from 9 to 11 a.m. or noon to 2 p.m. Utah Avalanche Center staff will offer a free avalanche safety course from 11 a.m. to noon. The course is free and open to everyone.

Food

$6 for 2 medium-sized classic or creamy smoothies, Jamba Juice – multiple locations
$8 for $16 to Callie’s Cafe or $16 for $32, Orem
$11 for $20 to Dave & Cranky’s, Provo
$12.50 for $25 to Blackjack Pizza, Provo
$12.50 for $25 & more coupons to Blackjack Pizza, Provo
$12 for $20 to Sammy’s, Provo
$20 to Decadence for $10, Orem
$25 & more coupons to Yogurtland for $12.50 – multiple locations
$30 & more coupons to Yogurt Bliss for $15, Pleasant Grove & Spanish Fork
$30 & more coupons to Dalton’s Steakhouse for $19.99, Payson

Giveaway: Winter Palooza 2014

By

Utah County Mom

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January 9, 2014

40

Come Play at the upcoming Utah Kids Club Annual Winter Palooza! It will be held on Saturday, January 25 at the South Towne Expo Center from 10 am – 8 pm. This will be a great event for the whole family with a lot of activities, performances, and special guests! There will even be vendors, however, all of the activities are free.

Get ready for these activities:
Tons of Bounce Houses
A Huge 3-Story Rock Wall
Harness Up and Rappel Off the Ropes Course
Challenge the Mechanical Bull
A 2-Man Ferris Wheel
Laser Tag Arenas
Rides on Mechanical Stuffed Animals
Face Painting, Glitter Tattoos, Henna Art
Live Animal Shows, Magic Shows, Juggling and More

Once there, you will be able to take pictures with all your favorite Princesses, Star Wars Characters, Ghostbusters, Hero’s, and Minions!

Tickets are on sale right now for $6.00 per ticket. Tickets may be bought at the door for $8.00.

Giveaway: The Utah Kids Club is giving away two family 4-packs! To enter, leave a comment letting us know whether you have been to Winter Palooza before or not. You can get another entry to this giveaway by commenting on the Facebook post at the top of our Facebook page. This giveaway will end on Thursday, January 16 at 11:59 pm MDT.

Entrants must be 18 years or older and be able to attend Winter Palooza on January 25 in Sandy, Utah. This giveaway is sponsored by The Utah Kids Club. UCM was given tickets in exchange for this post. This giveaway is not sponsored, nor endorsed, by Facebook.

Sledding Hills: Orem Cemetery

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Utah County Mom

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January 8, 2014

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Orem Cemetery Park
1200 N. 800 E., Orem
Small hills
Great for young children

Okay, first of all, I didn’t want to name this Orem Cemetery, however, I don’t know what else this place is called. I’ve always called it a park until I went to Google map it and it told me it was the cemetery! I even checked the Orem City’s park information and was surprised that it’s not a park. But it makes sense. It’s just a lot of grass and a walking area … but all of the people who play soccer there made me believe it was a park.

Anyway …

This little park (I’m going to call it a park) is a much smaller version of Rock Canyon Park, in that it is somewhat of a bowl. It is surrounded by small hills which would be perfect for very young children. The hills differ in size a bit but in general, they are pretty small. I think my three-year old would have fun on the northeast hills as they are slightly larger – just watch out for trees!

Orem Cemetery — Northeast hill next to the actual cemetery

Find more sledding hills in Utah County here

Zulily Weekly Sale – Yoga & More

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Utah County Mom

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January 8, 2014

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This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting UCM.

One of my goals every single day is to be healthy and treat my body right. With that in mind, and the fact that I’ve gained quite a few extra pounds recently, I wanted to share with you these yoga products that are up to 60% off on zulily right now! This is perfect timing and I always need some comfy yoga clothes – and with the sale, they are at a great price, too! There are also other sales at zulily this week including running apparel (it’s fitness week!), Sesame Street Collection, BabyBjourn, Reebok, and so many others!

Midway Ice Castles 2014

By

Utah County Mom

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January 8, 2014

2

The Midway Ice Castles are absolutely incredible. Utah Valley Moms had the chance to go visit the ice castles in Midway to review them and found it a very interesting opportunity as we were able to experience and enjoy these magnificent creations!

The ice castles began by Brent Christensen who moved his family from California and wanted to do something exciting with this cold weather. So he began the ice castles. At first it was a twenty-foot slide, ice rink, and an ice cave and castle. However, after using splintered wood that first winter and then having to clean up the huge mess as it melted in the spring, he decided he needed to make something out of only ice. Ice castles are made with harvested icicles and are continually worked on throughout the day. The icicles are carefully placed and a sprinkler system is used to refreeze the “castles” each night. As the winter continues, the ice castles will change so if you go now, expect the castles to look completely different in six weeks. In fact, the ice castles make look different day after day because of the refreezing and the fact that after the sprinklers each night create freezing ice, the next morning, workers go in to chisel and chainsaw the ice back into a walkable pathway – sometimes some of those closed-in ice paths and tunnels you walk through completely close during the night!

As we arrived to the Midway Ice Castles, I was very surprised that these ice castles were basically in the middle of the town! I expected it to be up against a mountain but it is very accessible and easy to find. You may park anywhere on the street – we parallel parked right in front of the entrance – and you pay at a little booth right in the front. The entrance is grand but I was surprised to walk in and see how small it appeared. At first I was slightly disappointed at how small the area was, however, after beginning to go through the tunnels that have been created and different pathways, it began to feel pretty large!

I was worried that this may not be a place for small, young children, but was surprised to see many babies being held in arms and my one-year old and three-year old loved it. They also loved it because of the movie “Frozen” and the song “Let It Go” could be heard from someone singing it (may have been my daughter and I most of the time…) almost the entire time we were there. The workers attempt to keep the walkways non-slippery, however, when you go to visit, make sure to wear shoes with grip. I wore boots (good idea) but they only kept me warm as they have absolutely no grip on the bottom – they are completely smooth soles (bad idea). It was a bit slick in some areas but for the most part, you are walking on crushed snow and ice and it is not slippery. Make sure you dress warm, too. My kids were in a few layers of clothes, hats, boots, and mittens. They stayed warm. I, in my one coat, with no gloves or hat, did not.

Lights within the ice are turned on each evening around 6 pm, however, the Midway Ice Castles open at 2 pm. If you can, go earlier in the day. Admission is good for all day, so enjoy the ice and how much time and effort is put into it while it is light outside and then go back to enjoy the ice with glowing lights. I personally enjoyed both equally. You can really see all of the details during the day, however, at night, the ice castles almost look unreal. My family enjoyed dinner between seeing the ice castles during the day and in the evening which helped keep the children happy. (By the way, we went to Tarahumara Mexican Restaurant and it was fantastic. And we happened to go on a Tuesday, family night, so a cute clown lady was there doing face painting and balloons – my kids got a huge balloon hat and flower.)

Suggestions:

Dress warm
Wear shoes with good traction
Make it a family and friends activity
See it during the day and evening
Don’t take strollers
Look for discount tickets online
Go on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday if possible – the amount of people there was quite small on a Tuesday or maybe we were just lucky
Parking is free but you might have to walk a ways down the street
After you go, review them on Yelp!

Midway Ice Castles
150 W 100 N,
Monday – Friday: 2pm – 9pm
Saturday: noon – 10pm
Sunday: CLOSED

Now for my favorite part: the photos! These photos all belong to Utah Valley Moms – please do not use them without permission and linking to this post.

Midway Ice Castles / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram

Utah Valley Moms was allowed entry to the Midway Ice Castles in exchange for this post. All opinions are our own.

Sledding Hills: Cascade Park

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Utah County Mom

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January 7, 2014

1

Cascade Park
200 N. 950 E., Orem
Small hills – great for young children

Cascade Park has a great sledding hill which is great for younger children. The slope is not too steep and the hill is not too long. The hill is wide to allow for a lot of sledders.

Cascade Park

Find more sledding hills in Utah County here

Sledding Hills: Mountain View High School

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Utah County Mom

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January 7, 2014

0

Mountain View High School
665 West Center Street, Orem
Average amount of sledding space
Good for younger children

Mountain View High School’s field off of Center Street has some good sledding hills. I mostly only took pictures of the sides of the fields where you probably would not sled unless you wanted to run into a fence, but the corners of the field look like good areas to sled and look like they have been used quite a bit. There is one entrance that I used on the west side of the football field area that allows anyone who is walking into the field area.

Mountain View High School

Find more sledding hills in Utah County here

Sledding Hills: Rock Canyon Park

By

Utah County Mom

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January 7, 2014

1

Rock Canyon Park
2620 N. 1200 E., Provo
Lots of options on heights of hills
Multiple sledding areas
Any age – more recommended for older children (and definitely adults)
For young children, see the bottom photo

The hills at Rock Canyon Park are not for the faint of heart. These are some of the most popular sledding hills in Provo and are fairly long and steep. The park is quite large and is basically a very large bowl. There are hills on all sides of the park so there are a lot of options. I have taken my then two-year old on these slopes and although she was afraid at first, she ended up loving it. I would recommend going soon after it snows before the sledding hills become too icy. And beware of the very bottom of the hill on the east side – once the snow has been packed down, there is a lip that forms where the walkway usually is and although it is fun to be thrown into the air a bit when you hit the bottom, it can be a pretty hard landing if it is icy!

Rock Canyon Park

Rock Canyon Park Nnnzznnzbnzxm

Rock Canyon Park

Find more sledding hills in Utah County here

Sledding Hills: Riverview Park

By

Utah County Mom

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January 7, 2014

1

Riverview Park
4620 N. 300 W., Provo
There is one smaller hill at this park that can be used on either side of it for sledding
Great for younger children

I’ve only been to this park a couple of times – once for a playgroup and once for a family reunion – but the Riverview Park seems great for sledding! There is one hill at the park that can be used for sledding. It does not seem too steep for younger children, however, I’m sure older children would love this one as well.

Riverview Park

Find other sledding hills in Utah County here

Utah County Sledding Hills

By

Utah County Mom

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January 7, 2014

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We have compiled a list of your favorite sledding hills! Here is what we have for now for sledding hills in Utah County – please let us know if you have a favorite that is not listed! As we review and photograph each location, you will be able to click on the link of the park/location to see what each hill looks like.

Provo

Rock Canyon Park: a park with many different heights to choose from and it is a huge park so there is a lot of space for a lot of people

Riverview Park: great for younger children

Bicentennial Park, 1400 S. 1600 E.

Orem

Windsor Elementary, 1315 N. Main Street

Cascade Park: great for little kids

Mountain View High School: good for all ages

Northridge Elementary, 1660 N. Nighthawk Dr.

Cherry Hill Elementary, 250 E. 1650 S.: great for younger children

Orchard Park, 1000 N. 750 E.

Orem Cemetery, 1200 N. 800 E.

Lindon

Oak Canyon Junior High, 111 S. 725 E.

Alpine

South side of Swiss One subdivision

Cedar Hills

East side of foothills of Canyon Road

American Fork

Evergreen Park, 200 N. 700 E.

Shelley Elementary, 600 N. 100 W.

Equestrian Park

Eagle Mountain

Silver Lake Amphitheater, Pony Express Road

Spanish Fork

Spanish Oaks Elementary, 2701 E. Canyon Crest Drive

Payson

Peetneet Academy, 10 S. 600 E.: very large, steep hill

Lehi

1900 North and 300 East

Hills on the east side of the freeway at the Point of the Mountain

American Fork Canyon

Tibble Fork Reservoir, take Exit #287 from I-I5. Turn east onto UT-92 and continue driving into American Fork Canyon. There is a $6 per vehicle fee at the toll station entrance to the canyon. After about 5 miles, turn left, following signs to Granite Flat Campground/Tibble Fork Reservoir.

Hobble Creek Canyon

Closed until further notice. Jolley’s Ranch (3 miles up): Open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. and Monday to Tuesday from 3-8 p.m., Jolley’s Ranch offers groomed tubing and sledding hills. Jolley’s is a fee location. Sledding costs are $2 (before 5 p.m.), $3 (after 5 p.m.), and $10 for an anytime family rate. Season passes are available for $30. Bring your own sleds or rent them at the central yurt for $2.

Provo Canyon

Big Springs

Thank you to Michelle and Laurie for your great tips!

Modcloth’s Now or Never Sale

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Utah County Mom

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January 6, 2014

0

Shop ModCloth’s Now or Never Sale & Get 70% Off 100s of Sale Items!
It’s Now or Never! Get them while you can, ModCloth launched their annual 70% off sale today, you can save big bucks on hundreds of cute vintage-style retro & indie clothing, shoes and decor. Everything is on sale – dresses, bags, accessories, outerwear and cute plus size clothes too, all at amazing prices. But once an item is sold out, it’s gone forever, so buy your favorite pieces now! Here’s a quick link to check out everything on sale right now: www.modcloth.com/shop/sale

Free Food: Provo Chick-fil-A’s Canned Food Drive

By

Utah County Mom

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January 6, 2014

3

Wednesday, January 8, the new Provo Chick-fil-A restaurant will host a food drive in partnership with Community Action Services and Food Bank between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Anyone dropping off five or more non-perishable food items will receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A sandwich!

The same day, Chick-fil-A’s most passionate customers arrive more than 24 hours in advance of the opening, packing tents, lawn chairs, computers, TVs, couches and all kinds of gear to make their wait more comfortable and entertaining. Chick-fil-A provides security, entertainment, games and, of course, plenty of fresh Chick-fil-A. Recently across the country, hundreds of people hoping to win have arrived more than 24 hours in advance resulting in a raffle to select the 100 people (plus 10 alternates) who will stay with us 24 hours to win the prize. Please see the rules for details on the promotion and the raffle.

Chick-fil-A: 500 West and Bulldog Boulevard, Provo

This is a picture for AF’s grand opening back in 2010.

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