Amphitheater will open June 14 with free event

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

dastolfo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The city’s new downtown amphitheater will open June 14 with a free “First Look Friday” event.

The $8 million Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre will be open that day so the public can check it out. Local funk band Geo C and Tha Storm will headline a concert in the evening that will also feature the Sensations.

The amphitheater’s inaugural season will include a full slate of community-oriented events with low-cost or free admission, plus a few concerts by national acts that will be announced next week.

The June 14 concert and open house will be the first in a series of community events sponsored by Home Savings.

So far, the series includes:

Youngstown Wine and Jazz Festival, July 13: This annual event, held in conjunction with the Summer Festival of the Arts at Youngstown State University, formerly took place on Central Square. There will be an admission fee.

Drive-In Movie Night, July 27: This free event will feature a screening of the 1993 film “Jurassic Park.”

Ohio Players in concert, Aug. 17: the nationally-known pop-funk band, featuring Mahoning Valley residents Billy Beck and Rick Ward, will perform. Tickets will be $10.

Free Friday Throw Back, Sept. 13: It will be retro-disco night with the popular regional band Disco Inferno. Free admission.

Youth Spoken Word and Poetry Festival, Sept. 28: This free event, titled “I Am a POEM (Product of Environmental Motivation),” will be a creative outlet for young people.

Home Savings’ decade-long sponsorship of the community event series is designed to serve and entertain the full range of the area’s population.

“The Home Savings series will serve as a symbol of exactly why the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre was built: to provide a dynamic space that will be a cornerstone for our community,” said Eric Ryan, president of JAC Management, which will operate the 4,800-capacity facility.

“We can schedule events that appeal to all members of the community, and most importantly, keep them affordable,” said Ryan, in a news release. “The partnership with Home Savings will allow us to have reduced ticket prices and even host free community events that appeal to our entire community that otherwise would not be possible.”

Mayor Jamael “Tito” Brown echoed Ryan’s remarks.

“I want to thank Home Savings for their investment in Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley,” he said. “They are an example of what a private-public partnership truly looks like. This is the kind of investment we need to continue to move Youngstown forward.”

Gary Small, president and CEO of Home Savings, said “We believe in the future success of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley and are proud to be a founding supporter of this community enrichment project.”