This Friday, the thirteenth (spooky, I know) of January, the Ogden Eccles Conference Center will host the fifth annual Indie Ogden Awards. Indie Ogden, for those of you not living in the great white north, is the brain child of local resident Mikaela Shafer-Platter, a transplant from Portland, who moved here in 2010.
Shafer-Platter fell in love with Ogden’s unique flavor (it’s dog food, but like a really hip dog food) and launched the Indie Ogden blog to show her friends and family outside of the state what she loved about the city. Since that time, Indie Ogden has grown to something of a household name in Weber County.
In celebration of the first year of the blog Shafer-Platter hosted a party which has grown into the yearly celebration it is today. Every year, Indie Ogden celebrates the bars, restaurants, artists, volunteers, and more that Ogden has to offer. The event is always a formal affair, each year having a different theme. This year’s theme is Freak Show, complete with burlesque and aerial performances.
This year’s event will include awards for forty-two categories including best pizza, best new business, and volunteer of the year, among many others. All nominations and votes come from the larger Ogden community, no suggestions are made or votes cast by Indie Ogden, making these awards truly the people’s choice.
It’s a great way to celebrate the city and have a fun night out while you’re at it.
Note: this year’s Indie Ogden Awards have sold out. A sampling of categories and nominees are listed below. Check back after Friday to see who won.
Best New Business
- Waffle Luv
- Even Stevens
- Booked on 25th
Best Local Community Group-Organization – Non-sports team
- NUHOPE – Northern Utah Suicide Prevention Task Force
- Ogden Rad Ladies
- And She’s Dope Too
Best Local Non-Profit/Charity/Community Support Organization
- Nurture the Creative Mind
- The Christmas Box House
- Planned Parenthood
Best Tattoo Shop/Artist
- Christina Walker at Lucky Bamboo
- Big Dave at Lost Art
- Savage Tattoo
Best Art Gallery
- Pandemonium Art Gallery
- Eccles Community Art Center
- Gallery 25
Artist of the Year
- Cat Palmer
- Good Vibes Jewelry
- Shay Williamson