Rides, games and face painting are set to fill Promontory Hall at the Utah State Fairgrounds tonight as The Road Home throws its third annual Changing Seasons, Changing Lives carnival, a family-friendly fundraiser meant to help Utahns experiencing homelessness. The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at 155 North 1000 West in Salt Lake City, with general admission set at $50 and free entry for children 10 and younger.
According to ABC4 Utah, tickets include carnival rides, face painting, balloon art and bounce houses, along with food, non-alcoholic beverages, games and entertainment. Tables for eight run $300 and include admission for the whole group. The station reports the carnival welcomes everyone and doubles as a community fundraiser for the nonprofit.
Rachel Felton, who represented The Road Home, said the event helps people take their next step out of homelessness, per the same report. She also said the whole family can enjoy the carnival while helping change lives, framing the night as both entertainment and a direct assist to the organization's work.
What The Road Home Actually Does
The Road Home describes itself as a private nonprofit social services agency that assists individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Salt Lake County and along the Wasatch Front, according to The Road Home. The organization says its mission is to help people step out of homelessness and back into the community, and it operates six emergency shelters as part of that effort.
The Road Home provides emergency shelter for single men, single women and families with children, along with case management and meals, the organization notes on its Changing Seasons, Changing Lives event page. Beyond shelter beds, it offers housing navigation and assistance, permanent supportive housing, and supportive services aimed at helping people find employment and housing. The nonprofit says it provides assistance and support from the moment an individual or family seeks shelter to the moment they find stability in a home of their own.
Where the Money Goes
The Road Home says donations from the carnival will help provide shelter, housing and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Guests can look forward to carnival games, an opportunity drawing, and food and beverages, along with chances to connect with staff and other attendees, per the organization's events page. The nonprofit also says it continues to seek donations and volunteers to sustain its year-round services and address the barriers faced by unhoused people.
This is not the group's first run at a fall carnival fundraiser. A comparable Changing Seasons, Changing Lives event was held Sept. 24, 2025, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Utah State Fairpark Grand Building, according to FOX 13 News. That earlier gathering featured carnival games, food and drinks, inflatable activities, a balloon artist and face painting, with LUX Events supplying tacos prepared by Head Chef Hunter Hunt. The Road Home and Volunteers of America, Utah have also run the Candy Cane Corner holiday store together since 1994, per the nonprofit's events page.
Counting Utah's Homeless Population
Events like tonight's carnival come as Salt Lake County continues to track the scale of homelessness through its annual Point-in-Time Count, a single-night assessment of homelessness in Utah, as described by Salt Lake County. The count is conducted during the last 10 days of January and measures people experiencing the federal definition of literal homelessness on a given night, though the Utah Department of Workforce Services notes that weather, bed availability and volunteer participation can all influence the final tally. Salt Lake County has said more than 350 volunteers, organized into over 60 outreach teams, joined the January 2026 count alongside homeless service providers and community partners, though that figure comes from a search-result snippet and has not been independently verified against the full county release.
