Just my 2 cents on the dates. We were in Moab for part of the week prior to Memorial Day, and it was very sedate in town. We saw few, if any, 4x4's that had to be trailered, and you could actually make a left turn onto the main highway without causing a traffic jam. Friday and Saturday, though, just as we were leaving, the town got noticeably busier; we actually had to wait in line to buy gas!

Arriving back home with an extra day off to relax before getting back to the daily grind was a bonus, too.

Anyway, my personal opinion is that avoiding Memorial Day weekend for the majority of gone is a good idea, but then again, the additional chaos might be just what event attendees crave...