Nightlife

St. George, with its large nondrinking Mormon population, isn't one of the West's hot spots as far as bar scenes go. Locals going out on the town will often attend a performing arts event, and perhaps stop in for a nightcap at one of the local restaurants that serve alcohol or one of the hotel restaurants. Keep in mind that these are not private clubs, so you have to buy something to eat in order to purchase a drink.

Dixie State College's Avenna Center, 425 S. 700 East (ticket office tel. 435/652-7800), is St. George's primary performing arts venue. The four-building complex hosts a wide range of performances, from country and rock concerts to symphony, ballet, and opera performances -- and even sports games.

Dixie State College, 225 S. 700 East (tel. 435/652-7994; www.dixie.edu), offers a variety of events throughout the school year. The Celebrity Concert Series, running from October through April, has developed a strong following for its programs of music, ballet, modern dance, and performing arts presented by national and international performers. Tickets run from $12 to $18. Recent offerings have ranged from Broadway musicals to a concert pianist to the Utah Symphony Orchestra.

Not to be outdone, the college's music and drama departments offer numerous performances, including student recitals; band, chamber singer, and jazz ensemble concerts; and theater that runs the gamut from musicals to dramas -- and maybe even a Greek tragedy. Admission usually costs between $8 and $12 per person; most performances are presented at Cox Auditorium. Call the box office (tel. 435/652-7800) to find out what's scheduled during your visit.

Music lovers will enjoy St. George's own Southwest Symphonic Chorale and Southwest Symphony, the only full symphony orchestra between Provo and Las Vegas. Its repertoire includes classical, opera, and popular music. Get tickets early for the annual Christmas production of Handel's Messiah -- it usually sells out. Concerts are usually scheduled from October to May (box office tel. 435/275-4529; www.southwestsymphony.org).

Broadway musicals and plays are presented in a September-through-April season by St. George Musical Theater, 735 E. Tabernacle (tel. 435/628-8755; www.sgmt.org). Recent productions have included Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and The Scarlet Pimpernel; tickets cost $10 to $15.

The St. George Tabernacle presents free concerts (including half-hour organ recitals) on Friday at 12:15pm and Wednesdays at 7pm. For information on these and other programs, call tel. 435/673-5181.

Every Thursday night, Main Street comes alive with the Downtown Thursday Nights festival that includes local food, artisans, and live musical entertainment. Call tel. 435/862-0076 for information.

Not far from St. George, at 1100 Tuacahn Dr. in Ivins, is the Tuacahn Amphitheatre and Center for the Arts (tel. 800/746-9882 or 435/652-3300; www.tuacahn.org). Surrounded by towering red-rock cliffs, this 2,000-seat state-of-the-art outdoor theater presents original and Broadway productions from June through September, and at other times is the venue for big-name music acts, such as Kenny Rogers. It also hosts the annual Christmas Festival of Lights, during which Christmas lights illuminate the buildings and grounds at Tuacahn. Reservations are recommended. Tickets for the musicals vary, but are generally in the range of $15 to $40 for adults and $15 to $30 for children 11 and under. Dutch-oven dinners are served before the productions ($11 for adults and $8 for children).

Ice cream is also big in St. George. Downtown, the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor, 20 N. Main St. Plaza (tel. 435/674-9393; www.bluebunny.com), is bound to impress a sweet tooth of any age, with 10-foot ice cream cone sculptures, strobe lights, and such delicacies as the chocolatey Mighty Zion sundae and the Key Lime Melt Down. Some die-hards prefer the goods at Nielsen's Frozen Custard, 445 E. St. George Blvd. (tel. 435/628-5579), but for those who can't make up their minds, feel free to conduct more comparison research.