LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Venues around Kentuckiana are capitalizing on an increased demand after many events were canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City of Crestwood is investing on a project in Maples Park.
Construction for the Millstone Amphitheater is expected to begin in early March. The venue will host concerts, plays and other events in Oldham County.
It's the latest projected focused on making Maples Park a place for people to come together.
"The whole point of the park, it's in the middle of Crestwood, we really want to create a community space," said Crestwood Mayor Jim Kramer.
The park has already hosted a number of events and has a refurbished barn as a venue area. The barn is already booked for 2023.
"Every time we have an activity, it seems to double whatever we expect the crowd to be," Kramer said. "It's at least twice that because people I think are just so tired of being stuck in our homes, we just want to get out."
Crestwood isn't the only city in Kentuckiana that's investing in community spaces.
An outdoor amphitheater and green space with tables, trails and picnic shelters ia planned for Jeffersontown's Veterans Memorial Park. It is scheduled to be complete by August 2023. Image courtesy Joseph & Joseph.
Jeffersontown is building an amphitheater of its own, a project that will create a 1,600 foot stage with tables that seat 200 people. The plan for the open air venue is to be a destination for orchestra and other music and theater performances. It's expected to be completed this summer.
Across the Ohio River, a new civic center is being planned in Charlestown. The city is building a new park, Shadow Lake Park, after 70 acres of land were donated, which will also house the new civic center.
Current ideas for the civic center in Charlestown propose athletic courts, meeting rooms and space for art and theater events.
In 2022, two new event venues, The Grayson and The Jefferson, opened in Jeffersonville.
The Jefferson in Jeffersonville, Ind.
The Grayson, on Spring Street, features ornate décor and an outdoor space. The Jefferson is a music and event venue that can host around 650 people while another 400 can be accommodated on the exterior deck and patio that overlooks the Ohio River and downtown Louisville.
Wendy Dant Chesser, president and CEO of One Southern Indiana, believes the venues encourage more visitors and provides a lasting benefit.
"Not only do those venues provide opportunities for southern Indiana residents to enjoy, but it really opens us up to the entire region," Dant Chesser said. "That's just going to create a foundation for us to build on for years to come."
Kramer is hoping the investments at Maples Park will have the same impact.
"It really is exciting because the community just every time I see people here, they thanked me and they just say 'what's next, what's next,'" Kramer said. "They love to see all these things coming together."
Kramer said the amphitheater's first event will be Shakespeare in the Park this spring.
Related Stories:
- Outdoor amphitheater is part of expansion for Jeffersontown's Veterans Memorial Park
- Charlestown land donation paves way for new park, civic center
- New music, event venue overlooking Ohio River opening in Jeffersonville
Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
