PARK CITY, Utah — For more than four decades, the Sundance Film Festival has transformed Park City every year, filling restaurants, closing streets and bringing the world to Main Street.
"A little nostalgic, a little sad," said Michael Sims, a Salt Lake resident who was walking through Park City on Sunday.
The Park City Chamber of Commerce is getting Main Street ready not just for crowds, but for a farewell celebration.
"We want to make sure that the street is ready, the town is ready, you know, banners started to go up about a week ago," said Dan Howard, the chamber's vice president.
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Howard says the community is planning something special to mark the end of Sundance in Park City.
"We're gonna do some special music at the top of Main Street on Sunday. It's a chance for Park City to say, 'Hey, thank you for working with us for so long.' It's sort of a farewell," Howard said.
At the No Name Saloon on Main Street, which has been open for 26 years, preparations remain the same even as the reality of Sundance leaving sets in.
"We try to get everything on site to get us through that first five days, which are the busiest of Sundance," said Ronnie Wedig, the director of operations at No Name Saloon. "Is it going to leave a void in Park City for these 10 days out of January? Absolutely. Will Park City and the community figure out a way to fill the void? I think Park City is resilient, I think that something else will come in and fill the financial void that it may leave for one or two years."
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For Sims, this year's Sundance is his first and last.
"I've lived here for several years now, and I've always wanted to get up to Sundance," he said. "So the fact that it's going to be the last year that they have it here, it's like I've finally reached the finish line and the finish line disappears a little bit."
The Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan. 23 through Feb. 2. The Chamber said people can expect a special music event on Main Street on Sunday, Jan. 25, beginning at 5 p.m.
As the community gets ready for one more Sundance, it's also preparing to turn the page.
"Park City is always going to be busy in January, one way or another," Howard said.
