If you’re at all like me you’ve been reading all the news about the upcoming Olympics. However, the Olympics are not the only major sporting event this year making news this year. FIFA will host the 2026 World Cup in 16 cities in the US, Canada, and Mexico this summer. Recently, there has been a lot of attention on the controversy regarding the World Cup organizers in New York and New Jersey deciding break precedent and charge fans to attend the Fan Fest they will hold concurrent to the tournament. This got me thinking about fan parties for past World Cups. In particular, memories of the watch parties held in DuPont Circle in Washington, D.C. for the 2014 World Cup came rushing back. I started to wonder if there were any similar satellite celebrations for the Milano Cortina Olympics in the US.

Surprisingly, there are at least two significant events here in the US. I probably shouldn’t be as surprised as I was, given both of the cities hosting events have significant Winter Olympic histories.

When the Winter Olympics return to the US in 2034, Salt Lake City will become the second American city to serve as a two time winter host. To build excitement in advance of their hosting duties, Salt Lake will host family-friendly watch parties and community celebrations in February for the Winter Olympics and March for the Paralympic Winter Games. As part of the event, giant screens will be set up in Salt Lake’s Civic Center to livestream events. Organizers have suggested events on site may take their themes form the events held that day. More information can be found here.

Hosting events along side Salt Lake City is the only other American city to host the Winter Olympics twice; Lake Placid. Like Salt Lake, Lake Placid will host viewing parties for the Games at the Olympic Center, the Olympic Jumping Center, and Mt Van Hoevenberg (host of the Lake Placid bobsled, luge, skeleton, biathalon, and cross-country events). The Lake Placid Olympic museum will host several events including the “Moments in Time” exhibit which features images, memorabilia, and artifacts from past Olympics, Athletes and Artist Gallery talks, and pop-up learning displays. Additionally, the Skating Oval will host special theme nights with the potential to meet Olympians. In a move befitting Lake Placid’s place in American Olympic legend, from February 5th to February 8th, the city will host the Empire State Winter Games. More information can be found here.

Its exciting to see both Lake Placid and Salt Lake City embrace their Olympic histories and work to potentially inspire the next generation of US Olympians. If you want to feel a bit of the Olympic spirit but much closer to home, there is still time to book your travel or plan your day trip to either city.