Sixteen students and four chaperones from Courchevel, France, spent the past week sleeping in Park City living rooms, riding hay wagons in Peoa and cheering at the Kamas rodeo as part of a cultural exchange that has linked the two ski towns for 42 years.

Mayor Ryan Dickey welcomed members of the Courchevel board that oversees the sister city agreement during a gathering at Red Banjo Pizza on Main Street on Friday, July 25, according to the Park Record. City Councilor Tana Toly, who owns Red Banjo, hosted the group for pizza and a group photo.

The French delegation arrived Sunday, July 19, and is scheduled to depart Monday, July 27.

A bond forged in 1984

Park City and Courchevel formalized their sister city relationship in 1984, when then-Mayor John Green and Courchevel Mayor Michèle Ziegler signed an agreement making the two resort towns each other's only official sister city. The Park City Sister City Association, a nonprofit, has managed the exchanges ever since, according to the organization's website and city records.

The exchange runs both directions. Each winter, Park City High School students enrolled in the school's French program travel to Courchevel for 10 days of language and alpine life. Each summer, Courchevel sends its own students to Park City for a reciprocal American experience. In February, 17 Park City High School students made the winter trip.

"The Sister City program provides our students with a rare opportunity to experience another culture firsthand, build global awareness and represent Park City abroad," Tina Quayle, president of the Park City Sister City Association, said in February when the winter delegation departed for France.

What the visitors did

Host families opened their homes for the week while the French students sampled a slice of Summit County summer. Their itinerary included a hay ride and concert in Peoa, the rodeo in Kamas, a day at Jordanelle Reservoir, and walks along Main Street and through the Park City Museum.

Courchevel sits in the Trois Vallées region of France, one of the world's largest ski areas with nearly 400 miles of terrain and 161 lifts. Like Park City, it built its identity around skiing, tourism and preserving small-town character.

The Park City School District supports the exchange through a French dual-immersion program, according to the city's official sister cities page. The delegation is scheduled to head home Monday, July 27, closing out the summer 2026 leg of the exchange.