Film writer and publicist Sabina Dana Plasse of Sun Valley, Idaho has been coming to Sundance for nearly a decade, and is a big fan of no cars on Main Street.
“Should have always been this way,” Plasse said. “There’s so much potential here that has been missed in all these years.”
Roxy Klassen is in town for her second Sundance from Mesa, Arizona. She also likes the pedestrian friendly Main Street.

“I like it way better,” Klassen said. “It’s much safer for everyone and just a nicer environment for people to walk around.”
In a statement to KPCW, Park City Mayor Nann Worel said it’s “heartwarming to see the joy and energy on this year’s car-free, people-focused Main Street.”
She encourages festivalgoers to take advantage of the city’s free public transit system to navigate the event.
Park City Councilmember Tana Toly, who owns Red Banjo Pizza on upper Main Street, said she’s not sure the closure made a financial difference. The restaurant’s day-one festival revenue is essentially the same as it was last year, she said.

Sundance’s possible move out of Utah is also a front-of-mind topic for film lovers. The nonprofit announced last year it would look at relocating, citing financial pressures and a lack of accessibility in Park City.
The finalists to land a ten-year contract, which would begin in 2027, include Boulder, Colorado and Cincinnati, Ohio. Utah’s pitch to keep Sundance includes a dual-city plan that would shift more screenings and events to Salt Lake City, with Park City serving as a satellite location.
Jeff Goldsmith publishes the entertainment magazine Backstory and has been coming to Sundance since 2003.
“I hope Sundance stays in Park City,” Goldsmith said. “It’s kind of a magical getaway for everybody in the film industry to get here, and I hate to use the word ‘magical,’ but you really need to be able to focus on the films and the filmmakers and the unique stories, and Park City is a great place to do it. I can’t believe that the city would actually let Sundance go away.”
Goldsmith conceded the festival has become costlier over the years, especially housing.
“People are having more and more trouble affording to go here,” he said. “The place that I rented a condo from said that they generally make up almost a huge part of their year’s mortgage just through the film festival, because they raised their rates so high… I don’t know how that would work in other cities. Maybe it would be better, because Park City is a resort town, travel is limited. I went to the grocery store, they raised all their prices. I live in Los Angeles, the prices at this grocery store were more expensive than prices on similar things that I buy in Studio City, California.”
Goldsmith said he would be open to attending a festival in Boulder or Cincinnati.
The Sun Valley-based Plasse said Salt Lake City could be a better home for the festival. She agreed with Goldsmith that attending has become harder.
“Even at the top level, the money you spend to be here is insane,” Plasse said. “I come because I can drive here. Do I make any money? No. Do I love it? F— yes. I love film. I love independent film. I love artists. I love the collaboration.”
Both Cincinnati and Boulder have sent delegations to the festival this year. Cincinnati’s mayor, who was spotted in Prospector, told Ohio TV station WCPO the city is taking the opportunity “very seriously.”
The Sundance Film Festival continues with screenings in Park City and Salt Lake City through Sunday, Feb. 2.