The Main Street set change for the Sundance Film Festival has occurred. Cars have been removed for most of the day. The temporary corporate setups are open, though their numbers appear to have dwindled compared to the pre-pandemic era. And there is a heavy law enforcement presence, as is expecte d during Sundance. The Main Street crowds on Thursday afternoon and into the nighttime hours seemed muted, but the opening day of Sundance is not necessarily a barometer for the rest of the event. There were festival-goers in the restaurants and nightclubs, strolling along the Main Street pedestrian zone and glancing at some of the temporary installations. The pedestrian zone opened on Thursday. It is the second consecutive year Park City leaders have opted to take traffic off the street. The decision in 2025 was made for security purposes shortly after a truck attack in New Orleans. The success of the pedestrian zone last year influenced the decision to create one this year as well. There was a considerable police presence on Main Street and in the street’s vicinity on Thursday. Law enforcement is expected to be visible throughout the festival, as is the case annually. There were also numerous physical security measures. Several sorts of barricades were used to block traffic from Main Street, including those made of concrete, and law enforcement vehicles were parked horizontally across the street to stop drivers from accessing the closed portion of the shopping, dining and entertainment strip. The Summit County Mounted Patrol was assigned to the pedestrian zone on Thursday. The horseback deputies drew attention from the crowds and the media as they moved up and down the street. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office anticipates the Mounted Patrol will be deployed on Main Street each day the pedestrian zone is in operation. Four horses are planned for Main Street on Saturday and Sunday. There are temporary installations along Main Street and Swede Alley. The Acura House of Energy — an official festival venue — is one of the larger ones and occupies space on Swede Alley. There are other corporations with a presence, including a highly visible one by Adobe. A video board at Miners Park showed images of past festivals and photographs and quotes from the late Sundance founder Robert Redford. One of the other video-board images offered thanks to the festival community of Utah. On lower Main Street, outside the pedestrian zone, drivers were guided up the street, with separate lanes for vehicles that were dropping people off or picking them up and those that were driving through. Taxis and rideshare vehicles were pointed in a different direction. The traffic in the Main Street core seemed manageable, though the backups usually become worse over the weekend. A business on Main Street posted a message on the front window acknowledging that the 2026 edition of the Sundance Film Festival is the last one that will be held in Park City before the event moves to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027. Credit: Jack Casebolt/Park Record There was also some sentimentalism on display with the 2026 edition of Sundance being the last one in Park City before the festival moves to Boulder, Colorado. One business posted a message on the front window saying, “So long Sundance, thanks for the memories.” It was too early in the festival on Thursday evening to gauge any sort of business trends.  Restaurants and bars often post strong numbers during Sundance, but sales at retailers are typically mixed. The post Main Street mixes sentimentalism and security as Sundance opens appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less