Grand opening scheduled for new amphitheater at Schmeeckle
By Patrick Lynn
A grand opening celebration has been set for the new outdoor amphitheater at Schmeeckle Reserve on Friday, Sept. 13.
The grand opening celebration for the Pankowski Friends Amphitheater will begin at 5 p.m. with a social hour and reception at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Dr.
The program will be at 6 p.m. at the amphitheater, with live music at 6:30 p.m. by UW-Stevens Point alumnus Adam Greuel of Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, Art Stevenson of High Water, Matt Williams of Steez and Dan Alfuth, Frank Stanislawski and Jeff Ebel of Gray Catz. Children’s activities also will be offered.
Jim Buchholz, Schmeeckle Reserve director, said the project was “a dream of ours for many years.”
“It is an ideal space to present educational programs and special events, like our popular fall and spring Candlelight Hike festivals,” Buchholz said.
The amphitheater is the first capital improvement project of the Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve, a community group that “supports the reserve and its educational mission,” according to a news release from UW-Stevens Point.
Jerry Lineberger, Friends president, said community support was strong for the 250-seat amphitheater, adding the $270,000 project came to fruition thanks to donors from throughout the community.
The project was funded with initial gifts from Dallas and Edith Pankowski and the Sentry Insurance Foundation, Lineberger said. Additional public donations and grants came from the Community Parks Improvement Committee, Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin, Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Tourism Development, Aldo Leopold Audubon Society and Wisconsin Public Service Foundation, plus nearly 100 individual donors.
Construction and design were completed by the Rettler Corporation and Ellis Construction, both of Stevens Point; and Alliance Architects of Minneapolis.
Schmeeckle Reserve is a 280-acre conservancy area, located on the north end of the UWSP campus with five miles of accessible trails and boardwalks, a 24-acre lake and a visitor center with hands-on exhibits, gift shop and the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame.
For more information, call 715-346-4992, go to www.uwsp.edu/cnr/schmeeckle or on Facebook @schmeecklereserve.
