Yes, we know: Some people have lives and jobs to attend to during festival week. That doesn’t mean you can’t spend one weekend day getting the full flavor of the Park City Sundance experience, provided you’re willing to get an early start and follow some helpful hints.
Early Rising
Make
an early morning of it. Some of the fun of the Sundance experience is
about running on adrenaline—and another part is finding parking. Give
yourself sufficient time to hit Park City no later than 8 a.m.; it
takes anywhere from 40-60 minutes from most Salt Lake Valley locations,
not factoring in possible weather. The Monitor Drive parking lot is
free all day on Saturday; on Sunday, consider The Yard
pay-park-and-ride lot or street parking in the Prospector Square area.
Catch a shuttle to the Eccles Theater. Not only is it the grandest Sundance venue—offering the best opportunity to get in from the wait list, especially for the 9:15 a.m. screenings—but it’s probably the best place to get a little glimpse of celebrity, if you’re fortunate enough to get in, enjoy the show, and stick around for the filmmaker Q&A. If not, don’t panic—and consider your conversation with fellow giddy waitlisters part of the entertainment.
Sundance at Night
The movies are only part of the festival experience.
Whether at private parties or public bars, Park City has a buzz after
dark that will make even a simple drink and casual meal feel like a
celebration.
Do Main Street
After
your morning screening, it’ll be the perfect time to catch a shuttle to
Main Street. Get off at the Main Street transit center, and walk up
toward the Egyptian Theatre. Soak up the energy as you take your
high-altitude stroll; keep your eyes open, as you never know what
famous face will zip by buried under a parka hood. Enjoy watching the
crowds that gather around photographers, wondering what celebrity may
be about to emerge through a doorway.
At the top of Main, cross over to the Main Street Mall, and check out the New Frontier on Main exhibits. Space permitting, the general public can enter for free and check out cool experimental works in film and video. When you’re done looking around, find a spot for a leisurely lunch (see Movie Buff Survival Manual on pg. 18 for dining suggestions), catching the shuttle to your preferred destination, if necessary. And enjoy the shuttle experience, too—be sure to read the name badges of your fellow travelers, because you never know whom you’ll be sharing a ride with.
Maybe your early wait-list attempt didn’t pan out. Or maybe it did, and it got you enthused about trying again. Peruse the Film Guide and Screening Timetable, and find something for which you’ll have a healthy two-hour head start. Take the shuttle to your chosen venue, grab a place in the wait-list line and start up some conversations with your line-mates. Festival attendees’ stories can be as entertaining as some of the films.
Night Time
Grab
some dinner, then hit Main Street again before heading home. There’s an
entirely different vibe to the festival hub once the sun goes down and
everyone’s jockeying for room at the parties. Get in the middle of it,
and you’ll hit your own comfy bed that night with a keen sense for what
Sundance is all about.
