There are so many fun ways for Salt Lake County residents to be a part of the NBA All-Star 2023 experience. Information on everything happening can be found at slco.to/nba. Residents can also enter to win tickets to events, including NBA Crossover, which includes a dedicated area to celebrate All-Star Jam Session, which originally debuted at NBA All-Star 1993 in Utah. Another way to be eligible for prizes and tickets is to sign up for the Salt Lake County Library All-Star Winter Reading program; and to make sure kids have their own connection to all the action, NBA All-Star bookmarks have been distributed to schools across the valley complete with a QR code to learn even more. Aside from these specific Salt Lake County residents-only events, the County has also partnered with the Utah Jazz and NBA to create art installations at Abravanel Hall and the University of Utah Huntsman Basketball Center. They are a beautiful expression of the vibrancy of our community; not to mention the perfect spot for an All-Star selfie you can post with pride.
Salt Palace: The Salt Palace Convention Center is excited to be part of the star-studded NBA Crossover event! The Convention Center will welcome the public through the main entrance via the East Tower located at 100 S West Temple. Friday, February 17th – Sunday, February 19th, doors open for VIPs at 11 a.m., the general public at Noon, and the doors close at 8 p.m. Concerts will be held in the Ballroom. Friday and Saturday, the doors will open for the show at 9 PM and 4 PM on Sunday. Be aware there is no public parking at the convention center during NBA All-Star 2023. Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for kids under 12, and are available now at http://nbaevents.nba.com/crossover.
UTA will be offering ten zero fare days, February 12-21. This includes FrontRunner, TRAX, all bus services including Ski Bus, Paratransit, and UTA On-Demand. In addition, UTA will be providing a ticket-as-fare promotion for airport travelers the entire month of February for those with a valid day-of-travel airline ticket. This means anyone flying into, or out of, either the Salt Lake City International Airport or Provo Municipal Airport can ride free on the UTA system with a printed or digital airline boarding pass dated for valid day-of-travel. https://www.rideuta.com/NBA
CENTRAL, a celebration of local during NBA All-Star 2023: A celebration of local, CENTRAL will reimagine Gallivan Plaza with a curated experience of art, music, and food during All-Star Weekend. Norbert Bueno and his creative team at Bandah have designed an immersive installation with 25 musicians performing above upcycled shipping containers, the interiors of which will be fashioned into a museum-quality exhibit of local artists. Vishwa Srinivasan of Alleyways Amplified is producing a generative A.I. film that tells stories about Salt Lake, to be projected on the Gallivan stage. And, Bahaa Chmait, director JOYMOB Events will sprinkle intriguing surprises, sure to produce wow-moments. Adorning the Gallivan grounds will be larger-than-life sculptures from artist Emily Nicolosi, and a sculpture produced just for this event by Isaac Gonzales, and Norbert Bueno. CENTRAL will be free and open all ages from 1-10pm, February 17, 18, and 19. https://we.tl/t-oVJxrIVfC7
Surprises and delights on TRAX: Downtown Alliance has joined with Salt Lake City and Utah Transit Authority to program live entertainment inside downtown TRAX trains during NBA All-Star 2023. Riders will enjoy nearly 50 singers, comedians, musicians, and magicians who will be inside train cars from The Gateway to the Gallivan platforms. Train hosts with each performer will answer visitor’s questions and provide directions to nearby destinations, restaurants and activities.
Salt Lake City government is making significant efforts to ensure the success of NBA All-Star 2023. The City is working closely with the NBA and local law enforcement agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive security plan to ensure safety and security of the event. The City is also working with agencies to facilitate the specific transportation needs for the weekend and to mitigate crowd and traffic congestion, by implementing temporary road closures and redirecting public transportation routes. Additionally, the City is focusing on downtown maintenance and infrastructure support to ensure that the area is clean and well-maintained during the event. Salt Lake City is also supporting downtown activation and events that can be accessed by visitors and locals who may not have game tickets, so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the dynamic environment that NBA All-Star 2023 will bring.
Visit Salt Lake will be helping the Salt Palace Convention Center in hosting NBA Crossover activities and will serve as the hub for public information related to NBA All-Star 2023. 2023 NBA All-Star Game | Tickets, Schedule, & Venues (visitsaltlake.com) contains ticket information, event and venue schedules, tips for planning your travel to Salt Lake, listings of attractions & historic sites, restaurant and nightlife recommendations and tips on transportation, weather and how to enjoy Salt Lake’s great outdoors. Visitors can stop in the Visitor Center located at 90 South West Temple, in the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, to get tips on all the best ways to enjoy Salt Lake while here.
The University of Utah and the Hunstman Center will have significant impacts to public travel with road closures on South Campus Drive. Intending to alleviate traffic, parking, and other driving disruptions, UTA’s Free Fair February Program allows fans to ride UTA buses, TRAX, and FrontRunner trains to the Huntsman Center. As a result, surrounding residents will notice a significant increase in ridership hours before events and shortly after the events ends. The TRAX Red Line will increase the service frequency to transport fans as quickly as possible. Visit https://www.rideuta.com/NBA to view the game-day service schedule and more public transportation information. Rideshare pick-up and drop-off locations will be on Mario Capecchi drive just south of South Campus Drive along the street shoulder. Details here: https://www.visitsaltlake.com/nba-all-star/huntsman/
