Lakeside Welcomes Backyard Community Amphitheater

When it came time to pack up the stage that the Westshore Visitors Bureau rented for Lakeside’s Crown of the Continent concert on July 5, the board members turned to each other and said, “Well, that was a really great idea.”

Someone floated the idea of hosting more outdoor concerts. Maybe build a permanent stage somewhere, and put on outdoor concerts all summer long.

The visitors bureau, three years old, looked at their modest budget and acknowledged that a permanent venue was too expensive. So it shelved the idea, and moved on – thinking years down the line it would have the budget for land and materials.

Then, just a few weeks later, John Hudson, co-founder of the nonprofit architecture firm 100 Folds Studio, and Steve Patyk, a Westshore board member, approached the bureau with some drawings.

100 Folds saw how successful the Crown of the Continent show was, and it wanted to help build a natural amphitheater on some of Patyk’s land, at the foot of a grassy knoll near Stoner Creek on the south side of downtown.

They had a small budget, too, but after seeing the plans rendered on paper, excitement about the project was renewed, and “we thought, ‘let’s just give it a whirl and see how it goes,’” Gina Jepson, promotions director at Westshore, said.

Over the weekend, Jepson and the other Westshore board members pitched the idea around town, soliciting financial support. By Sunday afternoon, they had raised more than they needed to realize 100 Folds’ original design.

“It was northing short of a miracle,” said Gina Jepson, a Westshore board member. “The community really came together. After the [Crown of the Continent] concert, they saw our vision and how much potential this had. Everybody’s loving it.”

The Westshore board members and 100 Folds went back and forth on design ideas, adding details the preliminary budget couldn’t cover like electrical setups and surveillance cameras.

On Tuesday, July 28, the 13 young professionals taking part in 100 Folds’ Summer Studio began construction. They expect to complete the amphitheater by the end of August, and Westshore hopes to coordinate a concert before snow falls, maybe even before the summer’s end.

The theater, all sloping curves and cedar, will be 34 feet wide in the front, 15 feet high, and 20 feet deep. With a tapered back and forced perspective, the design will project the sounds so clearly that the space can be used for acoustic performances. It’s also facing away from the road, which will block out noises from town.

“Right now our vision is to have symphonies, orchestras, musicals, jazz,” said Jepson. “Just everything. Something that’d appeal to everyone in the community.”

Jepson and Westshore will spend the winter organizing 2016’s summer schedule, which Jepson said would likely include a three- or four-part summer concert series.

“We’re hoping to start small and develop as time goes on,” Jepson said.

Also in the works is a benefit for the Lakeside’s Quick Response Unit, which needs an ambulance.

“We really like the idea of giving bank. Charity groups can come [to the amphitheater] and do a raffle or a concert to raise awareness, and then also have a fun community event—that’s really what we’re looking to do,” said Jepson. “People can come and bring their kids and listen to cool music and socialize, and have it be a community thing. It’s a great way to celebrate summer.