August is when summer and the school year overlap in Utah Valley. The five Mondays of August 2027 are August 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, and they carry three different kinds of home evening: one for the sky (the Perseid meteor shower and a near-full moon), one for school-age families getting ready for the first day, and one for BYU students and new arrivals as campus fills up. Here they are by who they're for, checked October 20, 2026.
| Monday | Sunset (Provo) | Moon (USNO) | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 2 | 8:42 p.m. | New moon | Darkest sky of the month |
| Aug. 9 | 8:33 p.m. | First quarter | BYU summer term's last day of class |
| Aug. 16 | 8:24 p.m. | Nearly full (full on the 17th) | Education Week begins |
| Aug. 23 | 8:14 p.m. | Waning | BYU University Conference |
| Aug. 30 | 8:03 p.m. | Waning crescent | BYU new student orientation |
Sunset times from Sunrise-Sunset.org; moon phases from the U.S. Naval Observatory.
For everyone: the sky
August 2: the darkest Monday. The new moon is August 2 at 10:05 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, per the Naval Observatory. A new moon means no moonlight that night, the best evening of the month for stars. Drive away from streetlights if you can, turn off the headlights, and give everyone's eyes time to adjust. Read Psalm 8:3 to 4 ("When I consider thy heavens") in the dark.
The Perseids, the week of August 9. NASA's Perseids page says the shower peaks in mid-August; its listing for 2026 gave the peak night as August 12 to 13. It says the best viewing is in the pre-dawn hours from a dark-sky location, though some meteors can be seen from about 10 p.m. If the 2027 peak falls on the same dates, that's a Thursday night, so plan it as a family on Monday the 9th: decide whether you'll wake the children before dawn on Friday or try a late Thursday evening, and where you'll go to get away from city lights; our stargazing guide lists dark-sky spots within reach of Provo. Then do it.
August 16: the moonrise walk. The full moon is at 7:29 a.m. on Tuesday, August 17, so Monday evening's moon rises nearly full. Sunset is 8:24 p.m. An after-dinner walk timed to watch it come up over the Wasatch makes the whole home evening.
For school families: the back-to-school Monday
In 2026 Provo City School District's first day of school was Wednesday, August 19, with kindergarten beginning August 26, according to the district's 2026-27 calendar. Other districts start on their own dates; check yours for 2027-28.
The Monday before school starts is one of the most useful home evenings of the year:
- A family council. Who gets picked up when, where the backpacks live, what time is bedtime now. The Church's General Handbook includes family councils among the things home evening may be.
- One goal each. Every child writes one goal for the year and seals it in an envelope you'll open in May.
- Blessings, if your family gives them. If back-to-school blessings are your family's practice, the home evening before the first day is a natural place for them.
- The treat is the school supplies. Let the children pick their own notebook colors. It's cheap and they remember it.
The heat is still on for that first week. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals give August an average high of 92.9 degrees and an average low of 61.0, so the outdoor part of the evening still belongs after 7:30.
For BYU students and new arrivals
BYU's academic calendar lists Monday, August 9 as summer term's last day of class, University Conference on Monday, August 23, and new student orientation running into Monday, August 30. In between, Education Week begins Monday, August 16 (academic calendar), bringing a week of classes to campus. Our Education Week guide covers registration and parking.
For new YSA ward members arriving the last week of August, our YSA and roommate FHE guide explains how FHE groups work in Provo's student wards, and our move-in guide covers the rest of the first week.
The town celebrations
August is the tail end of Utah Valley's summer city celebrations. In 2026 the Utah County Fair and Rodeo ran Monday, July 27 through Saturday, August 1 in Spanish Fork, according to the Daily Herald. Our guides to Alpine Days, Salem Days, Santaquin's Orchard Days, Lindon Days and the Highland Fling track each year's schedule. Springville's Monday evening farmers market continues through the summer, open 5 to 9 p.m. on Mondays from June through September, per the city's market page.
Related Guides
- Family Home Evening in Utah Valley: 52 Ideas for the Year
- July Family Home Evening Ideas in Utah Valley
- September Family Home Evening Ideas in Utah Valley
- FHE With Teenagers
- BYU Education Week
- FHE Hikes Under an Hour
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Monday dates in August 2027?
When do the Perseids peak in 2027?
What phase is the moon during the 2027 Perseids?
When is BYU Education Week 2027?
Is there a full moon on a Monday in August 2027?
When does BYU's fall semester start in 2027?
When does school start in Provo in August?
How hot is August in Provo?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Moon phases, August 2027, U.S. Naval Observatory. Checked October 20, 2026.
- NASA Science: Perseids, NASA Science. Checked October 20, 2026.
- 2026-2027 School Year Calendar, Provo City School District. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Sunset Farmers Market, Springville City. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Education Week, August 16, 2027, BYU Academic Calendar. Checked October 20, 2026.
- General Handbook 2.2.4, Home Evening, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Valley Living: 3 events to check out this week (Aug. 1-9), Daily Herald. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Sunrise and sunset times for Provo, Utah (API, America/Denver), Sunrise-Sunset.org. Checked October 20, 2026.
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Provo BYU station (USC00427064), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Checked October 20, 2026.
