Downtown Elkhart Amphitheater
Elkhart, Indiana is blessed with a well-preserved historic core, picturesque riverside geography, and a robust business climate. The city has nurtured a generation of civic leaders in the public and private sectors who care deeply for this community and are passionate about its regeneration. This project is the culmination of their generosity and vision. The Downtown Elkhart Amphitheater, a state-of-the-art event facility, sensitively designed public gardens, and new buildings along Main Street will activate the core of Downtown and spur urban activity for years to come.
The Downtown Elkhart Amphitheater is being designed in collaboration with leading experts in the fields of venue design, construction, and management. While the plan of the venue and park are firmly established, it is important to note that renderings of the conceptual design are intended to suggest its relative size and not its specific style.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are you going to handle parking with so many people attending amphitheater shows?
From the beginning of this process, parking has been at the top of our priority list. While we do have years of experience welcoming thousands of people into downtown for Jazz Fest, Grand Prix, and the 4th of July fireworks, we recognize the need for more parking options. These options include increasing the number of street parking spots and adding a parking structure.
Who will be choosing the talent that will play at the amphitheater?
Two behemoths in the live entertainment industry, Mammoth Entertainment and Exceptional Artists will be responsible for booking this performance space. Combined they are one of the largest promoters in the country and will be bringing much larger shows to Elkhart than we’ve ever seen before.
Why build another performance space right next door to The Lerner?
The Lerner Theater has been a huge asset to Downtown Elkhart providing entertainment opportunities for all ages. The Lerner’s historic design, however, limits us when it comes to the number of tickets we can sell. Being a 1700 seat venue, we are only able to book certain types of performers. Having The Lerner plus a much larger venue right across the street, Elkhart becomes an even more attractive market to promoters because they can book acts that fit the 1700 seat venue or the 6000+ seat venue.
This is Northern Indiana, why are you building an outdoor event space that can only be used a few months out of the year?
There are a few ways to approach this concern, but first, it is important to point out that venues in locations around the country that also experience winters, including Chicago and Fort Wayne have successful venues. Second, we are surrounded by examples here in Michiana of outdoor venues that are only used seasonally, Notre Dame Stadium and Four Winds Field are a couple of examples. Additionally, although the peak of the concert season will be May – October, we will be programming the space for 12 months a year with a variety of community events.
How much is it going to cost? Who is paying for this?
At this stage in the game, we can’t put a price yet on the facility until we are through the design process. This project is a true public-private partnership, similar to how the Beacon Aquatic Center came to be. The goal is to have private funding for the facility and public funding will be used to support the facility through infrastructure projects.
How can I stay updated about the amphitheater project?
Please check our website: _________________ and our Facebook page, Downtown Elkhart Amphitheater for the latest updates and opportunities for engagement.
Questions, comments, or concerns? Feel free to fill out our feedback form.
We appreciate all of your feedback on this transformative amphitheater project for Downtown Elkhart!
Other Ways to Get Involved
DONATE
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With the generous support of donors like you, we can make The Lerner stage come alive.
Buy a Seat
Buy a theater seat with your name engraved on it! You can also use this distinctive opportunity as a gift for a friend or loved one.