The 65th anniversary season of the Utah Shakespeare Festival ran from June 18 through October 3, 2026, at the Southern Utah University campus in Cedar City. For travelers staying in Duck Creek, planning trips to coincide with performances requires balancing the 45-minute drive down Scenic Highway 14 with the desire for cooler mountain temperatures.
The 2026 festival season featured productions across three different theaters. The outdoor Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre hosted classics including Troilus and Cressida, Hamlet, and Twelfth Night.
Inside the Randall L. Jones Theatre, the lineup included the musical Something Rotten!, the farce See How They Run, and She Loves Me. The smaller Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre presented Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and The Book Club Play.
Evening main-stage shows typically had an 8:00 pm curtain, while many days offered 2:00 pm matinees. Tickets for the festival started at approximately $25.
Travelers choosing between staying in the valley or the mountains faced different seasonal considerations. During July and August, Cedar City experienced valley heat, while Duck Creek maintained daytime temperatures in the 70s or low 80s and nighttime temperatures in the 50s.
While Cedar City was noted as a more convenient option for those attending multiple shows in a single day to avoid late-night driving, Duck Creek offered a cooler environment for sleeping after evening performances. The drive via Highway 14 through Cedar Canyon provides scenic views, particularly as aspens turn gold in late September.
Local planning recommendations included visiting nearby attractions like Cedar Breaks or Aspen Mirror Lake during daylight hours before heading to the theater. To avoid delays, it was suggested that visitors eat dinner before driving and allow extra time for the mountain road to ensure arrival for the Greenshow and main performances.
