Park City will be better without the Sundance Film Festival

In 2019, Sundance showed Robert Redford the door. I guess he got too old and stuck in his ways. Now they have done the same to Park City — too old and stuck in its ways I guess. Sundance is off to greener pastures in Boulder.

Godspeed Sundance. But at least we are in good company in our rejection.

The truth is the Sundance of 1981 was Park City. The Sundance of 2024 was a perversion. Recent Sundance led to Main Street storefronts that existed only because of Sundance. Crowds of people descended upon us who didn’t care about being in Park City. They were here for the celebrities, parties, and to be seen. Is that who we want to be?

Many years back I was in Albertsons Fresh Market Macey’s in Pinebrook at Sundance time. I ran into a certain actor in the fresh foods section who played a doctor on E.R. He was wearing thigh-length, fur boots. At the time, I thought, “is that who we’ve become?”. Yes, that’s who we have become.

In truth, by Sundance leaving maybe Sundance has set us free.

What I value in Park City is meeting people at Run-a-muck. I love my kid’s basketball games at the MARC. I love when my other kid plays hockey at the Park City Ice Arena. I love the summer concerts at Canyons and DV. I love riding my e-bike along the paved trails. I love Fourth of July on Main Street — better yet is the Running of the Balls on Miner’s Day.

Those things are real.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and We—
We took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

We are on a path back to who we were. Hard Working. Fun Loving. Down to earth. People.

I look forward to a life without Sundance.

We got back two weeks in January — and probably much more.