The revitalized Monessen City Park Amphitheater has once again filled the summer air with the sounds of local bands and other musical acts.
The amphitheater is run by a committee of 10 local people.
Matt Shorraw of Monessen has been president of the committee since it was formed in June 2014. Shorraw said the amphitheater was opened in 1933 and was used throughout the 1970s and '80s.
The committee was started by Patty Bukowski, who is a committee board member. Shorraw said after seeing the amphitheater sit unused for almost 15 years, a group wanted to get a committee together and put it back to use.
“We just wanted to get up and show people this here, let's use it,” Shorraw said. He said with a DCNR grant and a community block grant provided through the previous city administration, the amphitheater was renovated.
Shorraw said the amphitheater hosted an event in June of last year, and the official ribbon cutting in August marked the reopening of the amphitheater.
In addition to the committee, Shorraw said the Monessen Community Development Corporation, as well as local fire stations and student groups, provide assistance for the shows.
Local fundraisers aid the committee in covering costs such as band fees.
“The committee has been really good about it (fundraising),” Shorraw said.
He said that the bands and musical acts are sought out by the committee through social media, or the musicians contact the committee themselves.
“We are always looking for bands,” he said.
Shorraw's background as a music major at California University of Pennsylvania has given him many connections in finding acts for the amphitheater.
He said local food is available for purchase at the events, and at the Dallas Marks concert this past Saturday, the committee tested other vendors selling nonfood items such as soap and other crafts that they hope to include in later events.
“We want people to come here, have a picnic and enjoy themselves,” he said.
He said overall attendance has been good at the events, but it varies depending on many factors, including the weather.
“Sometimes we have 300 people, sometimes 30 people,” Shorraw said.
The amphitheater schedule for the rest of the year includes:
• Saturday — Mon Valley Community Band, performing a variety of numbers, for the second year in a row. Show begins at 4 p.m.
• Aug, 9 — Johnny Koenig, Pittsburgh-based polka musician, will be kicking off his Polka Tour. Show begins at 1 p.m.
• Sept. 26 — Monessen Fall Festival sponsored by Castle Blood. Festival is from noon to 4 p.m.
Admission to the events is free. Attendees are welcome to bring chairs, coolers and blankets. There is seating available in concrete bleachers. Alcohol is prohibited. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase. There is a handicapped accessible parking lot right next to the amphitheater with ramp access to the park.
Shorraw said they have already started to work on the schedule for next year and they hope to hold events at the amphitheater on the first and third Sundays from June through October.
“We're hoping to get more events geared toward the youth. We really want to bring everyone together,” he said.
For more information on upcoming events or to book a concert, visit the committee's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MonessenAmphitheater or email the committee at monessenamphitheater@gmail.com.
Morgan Cushey is a contributing writer for Trib Total Media.
