[2] The official box was occupied by the President's Olympic delegation, which featured four future members of their respective sport's Hall of Fame: Prior to the ceremony, the turf inside the stadium was removed and a giant, abstract-shaped ice rink, designed by Seven Nielsen, was installed covering a large part of the stadium floor.

The parade of the 2,300 athletes was led by the Child of Light and began traditionally with Greece and ending with the host nation, the United States of America.

[3][4][5] The beauty of the Utah landscape was showcased as huge puppets of native Utah animals, including a 15-foot-long bison and the American bald eagle (the national bird and animal of the U.S.), entered the stadium, as well as dancing pioneer settlers as two trains came together on, symbolizing the US railroad industry which was beneficial to Utah's economy beginning in the 1860s, as well as economically linking the Western U.S. and the Eastern U.S. At the end of this segment, the performers unfurled a giant quilt that covered the entire stadium floor with the 2002 Winter Olympics logo in the center.

[6] Two figure skaters, Olympians Kristi Yamaguchi, Jozef Sabovcik (the fire within), and Scott Hamilton performed on the oversized ice rink to the song "Gold" by Linda Eder.

The main child of light was played by Ryne Sanborn, a young local hockey player who was in the seventh grade at the time of the ceremonies.

After speeches by Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC and Mitt Romney, the CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, U.S. President George W. Bush, standing with the U.S. Olympic athletes, formally opened the Games, saying so on "behalf of a proud, determined, and grateful nation", due to the U.S. still recovering from the 9/11 attacks half of a year earlier.

The Olympic flame, which had traveled 13,500 miles (21,700 km) was carried into the stadium by figure skaters Dorothy Hamill and Dick Button.