Celebration for 2034 Olympics announcement planned at Utah Olympic Park

PARK CITY — You can’t see it at Utah Olympic Park, but you can certainly feel it.

“I mean, our entire staff, I do not think I have seen this level of excitement in the last ten years that I have worked here,” Melanie Welch said.

Welch is the marketing director of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, and said she can’t stop smiling at the buzz many people are feeling at Utah Olympic Park in Park City right now.

“We are incredibly excited to celebrate on Wednesday,” she said.

That is because the 2034 Winter Olympics will be officially announced July 24. It is expected the International Olympic Committee will vote for and approve Salt Lake City to get the bid.

Even though most people feel like it is a guarantee, since Salt Lake City is the only city going for 2034, Welch said there is still excitement about the actual vote after all these years of planning.

“There is so much energy and just so many conversations floating around about it. And I think people, especially Salt Lake, it is such an Olympic city that we can’t help it,” Welch said. “I feel the energy with everybody, even visitors, are kind of feeling the buzz.”

Because of the expected announcement, a 2034 celebration is planned at Utah Olympic Park.

From 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., there will be a festival in the Olympic Plaza section of the park featuring food, activities, a meet-and-greet with former Olympians, as well as speakers and a presentation.

At 6:30 p.m., the popular Flying Ace All-Stars will be doing aerial tricks into the water at the Park’s pool.

It is a show that has already received 3,000 RSPV’s.

“That shows the level of interest. We are at capacity for that show in the area surrounding the pool and we are expecting even more people than that to come to the overall celebration,” Welch said.

At 7 p.m., there is a live concert at Olympic Plaza featuring the band Freedog.

The entire event is expected to finish at 9 p.m.

“There are so many people that I talk to who remember when we were awarded the 2002 Games,” Welch said. “Unfortunately, I was not here for that, but I am so excited and we are so excited to be a part of this, and for so many in the community, to be a part of it for a second time.”

Utah Olympic Park teamed up with Park City, Summit County, Ski Utah, the Park City Chamber and Visitors Bureau, as well as the Alf Engen Ski Museum to make this celebration a free event.

It will also be a car-free event.

Due to limited parking at Utah Olympic Park, free transportation will be provided by High Valey Transit with shuttle service from Woodward, the Canyon Cabriolet lot, and Richardson Flat.

There will also be a celebration at the City/County building in Salt Lake City during the actual announcement, which is expected to happen just after the IOC’s vote between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Mountain Time.

KSL TV will have live coverage of the announcement.