It's the time of year both loved and loathed by Park City locals. For ten great days, the Park City ski resorts are less crowded than normal, and local skiers hope those rare January storms come through and bless the slopes with a fresh layer of powder. Many longtime Park City residents get out of dodge for these ten days. Sick of dealing with crowds cooing over celebs, painful parking, and terrible traffic jams; this serves as a perfect excuse for a vacation. Many of these property owners in Park City rent out homes and condos - a pretty good exchange, really - offering up a rental home for vacationers, and taking their own vacation in return.

For the remaining group, entertainment of another kind is on their minds. For many of the resort town's service industry, the Sundance Film Festival means long work days rewarded by large gratuities. There's no shortage of village shops looking for the added business either, with art galleries gallore and boutiques boasting Prada, Dolce and Gabanna, Manolo Blaniks, Uggs, designer jeans and custom jewelry. For those not as spendy, there's always the Park City outlet mall and factory stores, which includes labels like Polo Ralph Lauren, BCBG, Banana Republic, Coach and Calvin Klein, among other trendy shops. 

And there's always the crowd who lives in Park City, UT mainly for the nightlife itself - the restaurants, bars and clubs on historic Main Street, the bustling center of nightlife in the center of town. During this ten day stretch, the party scene in Park City is amplifed by appearances of the world's most famous celebrities in the movie industry, as well as music and tabloid industries. Well, of course, those celebs famous for nothing in particular also show up and strut their stuff in swanky fur lined boots, stopping by the swag tents for freebies, visiting the VIP lounges and special events hosted by companies like Philips Magnavox, Yahoo! Movies, MTV films and others. And perhaps there will be a spotting of Lindsay Lohan, almost a local now herself, after her Utah rehab stint, she is rumored to have bought a home near the base of the real Sundance Mountain Resort, owned by Robert Redford, of course.

In a film festival built mainly around oddities and thoughtful movies which question convention, why does no one question why so few of the festivals' activities actually take place at Sundance Resort? To be fair, Sundance offers shuttle service to and from the resort to Park City film venues. It's a shame really, beause Sundance is one of the most beautiful places in Utah year round, housing the impeccable Foundry Grill restaurant and the dark but downhome Owl Bar. With quiet dining spots like those, visitors who find lodging near Sundance will really appreciate being far enough away from the madness. To be slightly closer to Park City, and still feel worlds away, festivalgoers may consider renting a luxury villa at Zermatt Resort and Spa. 

For a list of Sundance movie premieres, ticket and venue information, visit: www.sundance.org

by Elisabeth Ostrander 

Looking for Sundance Film Festival lodging? Resort lodging and hotels book up early each year, but looking around can produce last minute availability, though nightly rates peak during the festival. Consider renting a private vacation home, luxury condo or townhome for the best value in Park City, Utah lodging, any time of year. 

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