Three nationally known Jewish musicians will take the stage at Canyons Village on Aug. 5, when the second annual Park City Jewish Festival opens at 6 p.m. with free admission, a kosher food truck, and booths on Jewish customs on the village lawn.

Hasidic pop-rock band 8th Day, rapper Nissim Black, and young Israeli singing competition winner Chaim Zippel headline the evening, according to the Park Record. All three acts draw from Jewish tradition but cross genre lines.

Rabbi Yudi Steiger of Chabad Lubavitch of Park City, who organized both festivals, said the lineup grew from audience demand. 8th Day, the Los Angeles-area duo of brothers Shmuel and Bentzi Marcus, played last year's inaugural event and were invited back after attendees kept asking for their return. The band has performed at Lincoln Center and was selected for Disneyland's holiday concert lineup.

Black, who grew up in Seattle and converted to Orthodox Judaism after a difficult youth, now lives in Israel and raps in a style Steiger called "very unique." Zippel, a teenager, won an Israeli TV singing competition as a child. Music producer Gershon Freishtat is handling the live production.

Steiger said the festival carries no political agenda and is simply a celebration of Jewish life, food, music, and culture.

But the event also arrives amid tension. Steiger said that when he posted a festival flyer on the Park City Community Facebook Group, someone replied with antisemitic messages calling the organizers "Zionists." Group administrators removed the comments. In response, the Summit County Sheriff's Office is partnering with the festival to provide added security.

"We want to make sure the people know that we are taking their safety very seriously and that they can come celebrate with a peace of mind," Steiger told the Park Record.

Last year's debut drew what Steiger described as possibly the largest Jewish event in Utah and inspired at least one attendee to create a similar festival in Florida. Canyons Village Management, Vail Resorts, Ember Conley of Park City Performing Arts, and Mountain Town Music are all helping facilitate this year's event.

If you go

  • What: Second Annual Park City Jewish Festival
  • When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5
  • Where: Canyons Village Lawn
  • Cost: Free
  • Info: parkcityjewishfestival.com