Craft Lake City is excited to announce a new partnership with the University of Utah Division of Games to debut the Indie Mountain West Showcase, a featured addition to the Indie Game Arcade at the 18th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons, hosted in the GFiber STEM Building.
Taking place Sunday, Aug. 9, the Indie Mountain West Showcase will spotlight independent game developers, hobbyists and students from across the Intermountain West. The juried showcase is designed to support creators at every stage of development, from early concepts to polished builds, and will feature two major components: the Indie Game Arcade and the Indie Mountain West Awards Ceremony.
Applications are open now through June 10, 2026 for independent game developers, hobbyists and students across the Intermountain West and surrounding regions at craftlakecity.com/indie-mountain-west.
Now in its 18th year, the DIY Festival will take place Aug. 7–9, 2026 at the Utah State Fairpark and is Utah’s largest local-centric celebration of art, music, science and technology, featuring more than 500 local artisans, performers, vintage vendors, food vendors, STEM exhibitors and youth entrepreneurs.
“This partnership marks an exciting milestone for Craft Lake City as we continue to expand opportunities for Utah’s creative community,” said Jeremy Johnson, Craft Lake City Programs Administrator. “Indie Mountain West brings game development to the forefront of our festival in a meaningful way, and we’re honored to collaborate with the University of Utah to elevate this growing sector of creative innovation.”
The Indie Game Arcade, first introduced at the DIY Fest in 2023, has quickly become a festival favorite and a dynamic platform for interactive art and technology. The Indie Mountain West Showcase builds on that momentum as the first sponsored expansion of the program.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Craft Lake City to support and showcase emerging talent in the region,” said Greg Bayles, University of Utah Assistant Professor. “This initiative creates valuable space for developers and students to share their work, connect with audiences and contribute to a vibrant, collaborative game
development community.”
Participation in Indie Mountain West is free, with a $25 entry fee for jury consideration (students excluded). Selected participants will be announced in late June and will have the opportunity to showcase their work and will be eligible for Indie Mountain West Awards and honoraria.
Craft Lake City’s mission is to elevate Utah’s creative community through science, technology and art. The DIY Festival remains the organization’s largest annual event, celebrating local makers, performers and creatives across all disciplines.
About Craft Lake City:
Founded in 2009 by Angela H. Brown, Executive Editor of SLUG (Salt Lake UnderGround) Magazine, Craft Lake City® is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the mission to educate, promote and inspire local artisans while elevating the creative culture of the Utah arts community through science, technology and art. Craft Lake City strives to further define the term “Craft,” by modernizing the definition to include all handmade works of art.
craftlakecity.com @craftlakecity
Craft Lake City’s year-round programming is supported in part by the residents of Salt Lake County through the Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) Program, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, the Salt Lake Arts Council and SLUG Magazine.
The 18th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons is Utah’s largest local-centric art, music, science and technology festival. The DIY Fest features over 500 local artisans, vintage vendors, foodies, youth entrepreneurs, performers and STEM exhibitors over three days the second weekend of August.
The 18th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons features the GFiber STEM Building. Additional support is provided in part by the Willard L. Eccles Foundation, Lawrence T. & Janet T. Dee Foundation, McCarthey Family Foundation, the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation, Utah Afterschool Network, Falbaum-Caillet Family Foundation, PBS Utah, 90.1 KUER, Avanza, Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office ACE Grant, Marathon Petroleum, Creative West, STEM Action Center, Hypha, Utah Shirt Company, 24tix, Utah State Fairpark, XMission, Salt Lake Sewciety, VentureLab, Urban Food Connections of Utah, Utah Pirate, Mountain West Hard Cider, Uinta Brewing Company, Dented Brick Distillery and Libation/LLC Sugar House Distillery.