Even devastating floodwaters couldn’t stop the music at Freedom Park.
“Everyone remembers what a horror show it was last August,” Freedom Park Board President Nell Burrows said. “Everybody can remember the pictures of Jumpin’ Jack’s and Freedom Park completely underwater.”
This summer’s concert performance schedule at Freedom Park in Scotia was announced on Tuesday, May 29, as village and county officials and sponsors gathered on its stage to welcome the new season. There are 31 nights of entertainment slated to hit the stage located on Schonowee Avenue across from Collins Park.
Funk Evolution, a new addition to the lineup, will kick off the season on Wednesday, June 20, and closing the season is a special tribute performance by the Ernie Williams Band on Wednesday, August 29.
Last year, Tropical Storm Irene flooded the community hotspot, but the Village of Scotia had flood insurance on the property.
Burrows said the mild winter allowed for venue renovations to be completed before the season opening. Workers tore up the floor, carpeting and sheetrock from the backstage area. She said “everything but the toilet” for performers was renovated.
Scotia Mayor Kris Kastberg said there were improvements made to the amphitheater after the flooding, including a new dance floor, new sod and new seating. Also, Kastberg said the boat docks would soon be back in the water.
The village’s flood insurance on the property covered all of the repairs, Kastberg said, with funds left over. He said the additional funds would be used to color the dance floor and make a curb cut to allow for handicap access.
County Legislator Cathy Gatta, D-Scotia, said when the park was flooded “everybody was crossing their fingers and all their toes” that the concert season would once again hit the stage.
“We have a lot of really loyal bands that come back year after year and the crowd just loves them,” Gatta said.
The Freedom Park Foundation, a nonprofit organization, also faced funding cuts from the Village totaling $2,000, Burrows said, as the Village Board of Trustees crafted a budget within the state mandated tax cap. The foundation was formed soon after Freedom Park was built in 1975 for the bicentennial village celebration.
The village will continue to cover “in house” costs including utilities, insurance and maintenance expenses.
“They scrambled and did what our volunteers always do and came through with a program that is just as good as any other year, so I give them a lot of credit for doing that,” Kastberg said.
This is the first year Freedom Park has had a season sponsor, which is Scotia Glenville Dental Center. Burrows said the foundation created a media package with four media sponsors, including Spotlight Newspapers, which allowed for the main sponsor program.
Burrows said Scotia Glenville Dental Center was a longtime supporter of the park, often sponsoring more than one show a year.
Dr. Jeffrey Backer of SG Dental Center said the park is “great for the community” and it was “a natural progression” for the business to sponsor the season.
Backer said he likes listening to rock n’ roll bands and has enjoyed dancing with his daughters when they younger on the dance floor.
“I have a picture of me clogging with one of my daughters,” Backer said.
Freedom Park Board member Margo Janack said she is excited for the season to begin and the diverse range of music should please many people. Janack said the performances are a “good value” to the community.
Mark Lansing, owner of Jumpin’ Jack’s, hoped the season would be a flood of success.
“I just hope that the summer goes as well as the hurricane went bad,” he said.
For information on Freedom Park and the 2012 event schedule visit www.FreedomParkScotia.com. Schedule brochures will also be available at several local businesses.
