Lake George’s Shepard’s Park Amphitheater burned to the ground more than two years ago. While there’s still some work left to be done, but the rebuilt venue is now concert ready.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, June 29, 2024, just steps away from Lake George’s shore, a blaze consumed the 30-year amphitheater.
“I saw flames. Half of the building was already destroyed. The other half was burned but being extinguished but it was just a smokey mess,” said Ray Perry.
Lake George Mayor Ray Perry was there.
“So, I kind of walked around the back, down much lower than here, and I heard, it sounds silly, but I heard a loon call. And I looked out and right about 50 years, 100 feet off shore was a loon. All by itself. The sun was just coming up. It was calling and I looked at it and at that moment it kind of washed over me that everything’s going to be OK. Nobody got hurt, we can do better than what we had. I don’t know how we’re going to pay for it but that all fell into place later on,” said Perry.
Funding for what would become a more than $6 million project would come from multiple sources: State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, rallied $2.9 million in state funding for the project – funds from the village’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, awarded in 2023, covered most of the remaining costs.
New lighting and audio systems placed on five towers around the amphitheater totaled $600,000. And $1.5 million went toward mending and reconstructing the 115-year-old stone on which the amphitheater is set.
Sitting toward the top of the new stone tiers is Lake George native Bill Parker. He’s a bit emotional seeing it all come together.
“It’s everything, really. This is like the center of our life especially the primary few months out of the year that we get to hear some bands and catch some sun. You know it’s like you look forward to the summer and getting on this unbelievable amphitheater,” said Parker.
The venue is unbelievably scenic – large wooden arches span roughly 50 feet across the stage so the Queen of American Lakes is visible behind performers.
It will host the Lake George Arts Project’s Summer Concert Series. In fact, during the interim construction period the weekly shows were still held at Shepard Park, just under a donated tent.
Guitarist Hank Soto is warming up before his group, the Stony Creek Band, christen the stage.
“This is the fourth stage we’ve played on in Lake George. The first one got struck by lightning. Then they rebuilt the one that burned down. And after the one that burned down there was a temporary stage that they put up and this one here makes the fourth, number four,” said Soto.
Through it all, Soto says, his band can’t stay away from Lake George.
“Why does a bear leave his den after winter? It’s what we do. We love to play,” said Soto.
The lower floor of the stage, which will house a green room and a lift to allow bands to bring stored equipment up a floor without much effort, is -- for the time being -- incomplete.
For AJA Architecture associate Chris Jones, the rebuild has been special.
“It’s really quite special to me. I’m a local boy, fourth generation of my family in the area. I graduate from Lake George High School in 2008 so I guess I’m officially getting old. It means the world to me, this is where I graduated middle school. It was very sad that the old amphitheater burned down and it was a huge blow to the community, but to work with the teams that we did and all of the community committees from the village to build something that is going to help thrive going forward and allow the village to use the space in a multitude of different ways was hugely rewarding,” said Jones.
Officials say the finishing touches on the amphitheater are set to be completed by the end of July.
