Party in Provo: City plans celebration for expected awarding of 2034 Olympic Games to Utah
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- Mikael Renberg of Sweden celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period against Germany at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic hockey game in Provo on Monday, Feb. 18, 2002.
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- A welcome sign with the slogan “Provo Welcomes the World” is pictured Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
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- The 2002 Winter Olympic rings are shown outside Rice-Eccles Stadium on April 10, 2024, in Salt Lake City.
July 24 promises to be a big day for the Beehive State. In addition to being the annual date for Utah’s state holiday, Pioneer Day, the International Olympics Committee is likely to formally announce Utah as host of the 2034 Winter Olympics Games, bringing the sports spectacle back to the state after more than two decades.
Dedicated parties coinciding with the projected announcement are planned across parts of Northern Utah, largely in cities where indoor and outdoor sporting events during the 2002 Winter Games were held.
Peaks Ice Arena in Provo was one of those official venues, hosting ice hockey matches, and served as a practice facility for both men’s and women’s competition.
As Utah looks to welcome the world once again, Provo City officials are planning an Olympics announcement celebration event Wednesday evening.
Provo’s celebration will be ideal for those who want to sleep in — Salt Lake City will host a live announcement event at 3 a.m. The announcement is to be livestreamed from Paris, where the IOC’s presentation will take place, just days ahead of the kickoff for the 2024 Summer Games.
“I’m excited to invite you all to the Winter Olympics Announcement Celebration on July 24th at the Provo Peaks Ice Arena,” a post on Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi’s social media page reads.
The event includes free public skating, music, a flag ceremony and a fireworks show starting at 9:30 p.m., along with other activities, according to a press release.
The event also will feature a replay of the 2034 Olympic announcement over a projector screen.
Since the 2002 Winter Games, Peaks Ice Arena continues to be a hub for recreation in Utah County.
“Peaks Ice Arena has been called one of the best examples of transition from Olympic Venue to daily use in the World,” Provo City Chief Administrative Officer Scott Henderson said in an emailed statement sent to the Daily Herald. “The arena is entirely financially self-sufficient and requires no subsidy to cover operational costs.”
The 110,000-square-foot facility is a community staple for recreational skating, figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey.
“Provo’s Olympic heritage is not about 2002, it is the active youth athletes using the Peaks Ice Arena now and the bright generational future they possess,” Henderson said.
Those looking to catch Olympic fever are welcomed to join the celebration at Peaks Ice Arena for the “post-announcement” event from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday.
