Earlier this week, Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah honored the birthday of its founder—the late Robert Redford.
In honor of the famed actor, the Outlaw Express stayed open late, and proceeds from the $10 lift tickets went to the Sundance Nature Alliance. The resort also served one of Redford’s favorite desserts, complimentary brownie sundaes, along with a moment for remarks in memory of him around the Village firepits.
A memory station was set up in the Art Studio & Gallery where guests could reflect on Redford’s legacy and share memories of their own, according to Town Lift. Sundance also dubbed August 18 Robert Redford Day, marking the start of a new tradition in his honor.
While Redford was perhaps best known for his work in the film industry, he was also an avid skier and even made the cover of the November 1980 issue of POWDER Magazine. He purchased what is now Sundance Mountain Resort in 1968 (it was previously named Timp Haven), and named it for his classic movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
In 1981, Redford founded the Sundance Institute, bringing ten emerging filmmakers to Sundance Resort so they could work with writers, directors, and actors and develop independent film projects. Four years later, the Institute assumed control of the U.S. Film Festival, laying the foundation for the Sundance Film Festival. Held for years in Park City, Utah, the festival recently announced its relocation to Boulder, Colorado, for 2027.
Redford sold Sundance Mountain Resort to Broadreach Capital Partners and Cedar Capital Partners in 2020 and passed away on September 16, 2025, at the age of 89. The resort held a candlelit vigil in his honor and has continued to honor his legacy with celebrations like the one that took place this week. This coming winter, Sundance plans to open the Electric Horseman, a high-speed quad named for Redford’s 1979 film of the same name.
