The Historic Park City Alliance recently surveyed members to gauge support for the Kimball Arts Festival and the Park Silly Sunday Market. Results are now in, and they were pretty clear.
Nearly two-thirds of the roughly 100 respondents said they don’t support continuing Park Silly Sunday under any circumstances.
The market takes over Main Street for over a dozen Sundays every summer from morning through the afternoon, and features dozens of local vendors.
In a separate question - which appears to directly contradict answers to the first question - a majority said they would support the market if it moved to a different location other than Main Street.
On the flip side, more than two-thirds of responses said they support the Kimball Arts Festival, and they want to see the event return in a similar fashion as year’s past. A strong majority noted that the free Friday locals night should be kept, and that it’s important the arts festival have a long-time home in Park City.
The contracts for both events expired this year and are now under review by the city council.
The view on car-free Sundays, an invention of the pandemic-era, was more divided. Over 40% of people said they don’t support it. A quarter of respondents said they support it, but are open to changes, like a different day or layout. 20% said they would like to see it return with Silly Market.
In written comments to the council and city staff, residents said the open space in Bonanza Park should be utilized more for special events.
The city council is scheduled to discuss the future of the Kimball Arts Festival at their meeting on Thursday, October 27. The council will review Park Silly Sunday on Nov. 3.
