Mayor Nann Worel expressed deep disappointment in the decision by Sundance Film Festival organizers to move the event to Colorado starting with the 2027 event just hours after the announcement.The mayor offered the comments during a Park City Council meeting Thursday evening. It seemed almost certai n Worel would address the move while in the Marsac Building with the sheer magnitude of the impact of the loss of Sundance on the community.Worel said the interim CEO of Sundance, Amanda Kelso, called her in the 8 a.m. hour on Thursday to inform her of the move. Worel said her comments at the City Council meeting were spoken “not just as your mayor but as someone who has lived through and loved the Sundance Film Festival as part of this community.”“For over 40 years Park City wasn’t just the host of the festival, we were its home. We helped shape the identity of Sundance with our unique energy, our colorful people, our undeniable spirit,” Worel said. “The world came here for film, yes, but they stayed for something more. They stayed for the feeling this town gave them. So, yes, I’m disappointed. Deeply. I know many of you are, too.”Worel said the Sundance move will mark the end of an era that she sees as incredible, but it will not be the “end of Park City’s magic.”The mayor was one of the key figures in the unsuccessful effort to keep Sundance in the state. The bid envisioned shifting much of the festival activity to Salt Lake City with Park City turning into a satellite location after the community served as the base for much of Sundance’s existence. There has been concern, though, about the accessibility and affordability of Park City. Sundance selected Boulder over the Utah bid and one from Cincinnati after whittling a field of contenders that included communities across the U.S.“We’ve known for some time that change was coming, but that didn’t stop us from trying everything we could to keep Sundance here in Utah,” Worel said.The mayor described that Park City, Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County worked together on the bid. She noted the roles of the Park City Chamber/Bureau and the state government as well.“Frankly I don’t know if there’s anything more we could have done. And I’m proud of how hard we fought,” Worel said.She added that Park City will continue to invest in the arts.“To our community: We are not defined by one event. Our creative spirit is deeper than any single festival. And while Sundance may be leaving, Park City isn’t going anywhere,” Worel said.The Sundance remarks on Thursday capped an extraordinary week for the mayor. Worel, who is in the final year of her first term, said on Tuesday she will not seek reelection. The comments about her political future were made during the annual State of the City address and appeared to shock some of the people in the crowd at the Santy Auditorium for the address.The post Park City mayor deeply disappointed with Sundance departure appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less