Outdoor Entertainment
By Heather Rule
With the purchase of an outdoor stage by the city of Fergus Falls, residents and visitors can enjoy outdoor concerts on the site of the Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center, or the Kirkbride.
A Neil Diamond tribute brought more than 1,000 people to the Kirkbride for a concert last summer. There’s plenty of room for a couple thousand people up there,said Michael Burgraff, executive director of A Center for the Arts. Concert-goers bring their own chairs and make an evening of it, enjoying entertainment, and food and beverages from food/brewery vendors.
In summer 2022, they’re planning to hold four concerts two in July and two in August – on the stage at the Kirkbride, Burgraff said. They’ll start with a Beatles tribute, a concert
with the music of Chicago, the Fabulous Armadillos Eagles tribute and finish with the Vee Brothers’ tribute to country western.
If the weather looks bad, the concert is simply moved indoors to A Center for the Arts (124 W. Lincoln).
Last summer was the first year of concerts at the Kirkbride. A new portable, 30-by-20 stage travels on a trailer that pulls behind a pickup truck. The stage folds down in a hydraulic way and has a variety of configurations, including a full stage and band shell. Owned by the City of Fergus Falls, there is a sound and lighting systems to use with the stage (also used at indoor locations like the Bigwood Event Center and
Community Arena). Roosevelt Park will see the return of smaller, community shows. These are free but count on donations to make the season a success! Bring your own blanket and beverages.
With so much talent in the area, live music is offered throughout the community all year long. Outdoor performances at Fergus Brewing and Outstate Brewing have guests tapping their toes to a variety of music. These outdoor sites extend into the fall when they count on bonfires and patio heaters – which add great ambiance too. The 1910 Sip House, east of Fergus Falls is small, but offers great musicians throughout the year. All the sound comes inside for winter months.
Indoor Entertainment
Trivia, open mic nights and community theater round out the summer. Community theater, however, is NOT outdoors. It takes place in the newly-remodeled A Center for the Arts. The renovation project was more than 10 years in the making, Burgraff said. Renovation stake time and money. Fortunately, they had both! The lobby is redone, with walls removed to open up the traffic flow during ticketing and seating. The ticket window and concession areas have dedicated space, and the lobby has an overall bigger look. Tile was removed and carpeting went in, while the walls got a bright coat of paint in the lobby.
The restrooms also got an upgrade. The women’s restroom doubled in size, and the women’s and men’s restrooms were remodeled with tile and touchless bathroom fixtures like dryers and sinks. Renovations occurred over the past 1-1/2 years during the pandemic.
“We think that it really is a nice way to invite people back in after being shut down for nearly a year and a half,” Burgraff said. For the complete schedule visit them online at FergusArts.org.