More than a year after the Shepard Park Amphitheater in Lake George burned down, it’s now being rebuilt.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, June 29th, 2024, a blaze consumed the Shepard Park Beach Amphitheater. While local firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading, the damage to the iconic stage overlooking the Queen of American Lakes was already done.
Village officials and volunteers put up a tent so that The Lake George Arts Project’s Summer Concert Series could continue, but, as Lake George native Alex Garry puts it, an amphitheater-shaped hole was left in the downtown community.
“Devastating. Lots of tears. I can honestly say as a local every memory has happened for me here. Preschool graduation, every family photo, and I’ve even set my future wedding date here. So, to see it burned down comes with a lot of memories and feelings. But, like Mayor Perry said knowing that there’s hope and a great team around us is very exciting,” said Garry.
Village Mayor Ray Perry, a Republican, tells WAMC the re-imagined space has been in the works since the fire was put out.
“It is vastly significant for me because I’ve been waiting for this moment. I know how the speed of government works but there’s a three-ring circus up here in my head. So, it couldn’t have happened fast enough. But there’s two ways you can do things, you can do them quick or you can do them right, and we’re doing it right,” said Perry.
The new amphitheater comes with a $2.5 million price tag $1.5 million of which will be covered by a portion of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative award the village secured in 2023.
New York State Secretary of State Walter Mosley said this construction project is exactly what DRI is meant to support.
“The upgrades to this project are a shining example of how Lake George is investing in the space that brings people together, supports local events and adds new energy to the heart of the downtown community. Lake George’s compelling vision and innovative thinking are setting an example of not just what we’re doing here in this region in this state but what we’re doing across this country. At the department of State we believe in honoring a community’s past while looking forward to its future. And that’s what we’re doing here in Shepard Park,” said Mosley.
A portion of the project’s funding will also come from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.
Republican Assemblyman Matt Simpson, whose 114th district encompasses a portion of Lake George, said there was a bipartisan effort to fund the project.
“That’s what Lake George brings to the table. Everyone has a connection one way or another to Lake George. I happened to learn how to swim here, I lived in the village, went to elementary school here. And I’m thankful to all of the people who came together to make this a reality because it’s a huge undertaking. And I’m especially thankful to assembly speaker Carl Heastie for his reaching out and wanting to support the village of Lake George,” said Simpson.
Construction is set to wrap up by late Spring 2026.
