By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A committee was formed Monday night to explore building an amphitheater in Hays.
An Image Ellis County Strategic Doing was conducted Monday night at the Hays Public Library to explore interest in building an amphitheater in Hays. The current proposed location is at Municipal Park.
The group members suggested a permanent stage could be used by Octoberfest and the Wild West Festival, as well as smaller festivals like Rockalooa.
Emily Knowles, a member of the Wild West Festival and Octoberfest committees, said those groups have to rent stages for their events. For the Wild West Festival, renting a stage with lighting and sound costs $60,000 annually.
The Wild West Festival recently announced it is struggling financially.
Some participants said having a permanent stage would mean new events seeking to establish themselves in Hays would have less overhead.
Knowles said medium to smaller events could also use the stage.
Other ideas offered included car shows, art shows, church services, movies in the park, Fort Hays State University concerts, city band concerts, Hays Symphony concerts, Hays High concerts, recreation programs, Hays Public Library events, weddings, public meetings and non-profit events/fundraisers.
"I think the university is really trying to have a lot more communication around theater," said David Macey, FHSU Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. "We also like the park's location and its proximity to the campus."
Adam Conkey, who is a member of the Hays Community Theatre and Hays Arts Council boards, said he saw a permanent stage being used for a combination of live theater and music.
The group also discussed some of the downsides of an amphitheater. Some of these included cost, upkeep, competition for other venues and the location of the park in a flood plain.
Another challenge is having a stage large enough to accommodate large events like the Wild West Festival but small enough to be used by small—to medium-sized events.
The group discussed attributes they thought needed to be included in the amphitheater. This included adequate utilities, restrooms, locked storage, rigging available to hold lights and sound equipment for concerts, bus parking and ADA accessibility.
Several people with sound and lighting experience at the meeting said they did not think an elaborate sound system should be installed.
Dustin Roths, owner of the Fox Theater, said he thought it would be better to build the rigging to hold the equipment but have experts bring in and operate their equipment for large concerts.
The group members said they did not want fixed seating. Attendees also said they preferred a modern design, unlike Hays' former concrete bandstand.
Conkey said he thought the amphitheater should include limestone accents to match Larks Park and other aspects of the existing park.
The status of the National Guard Armory is unknown in the park's potential redevelopment. The armory is set to move, but no timeline has been set for that move.
Group members expressed concerns that if Hays does not build an amphitheater, the community could lose new events and existing events, including the Wild West Festival.
Knowles said Octoberfest has an economic impact of $315,000, which only counts people coming to Hays from 50 miles away or more.
Facilitator Betty Johnson also asked if the amphitheater would still be needed or if it would be needed on the same scale if the Wild West Festival ceased within a few years.
Group members said they thought an amphitheater would create opportunities for other events of varying sizes.
Roths said he has some concerns about competition with the Fox Theatre.
"Ultimately, we want music and live music to become a staple of our community. It's how we keep growing," Roths said. "It's how our venue becomes as famous as it can be. We've caught a lot of traction. I think it shows that people around here would be willing to support it."
He said middle-size venues, especially those in Texas, are closing, leaving up-and-coming artists without venues.
It's hard to make money from tickets, Roths said. He said most venues make money on alcohol.
Amphitheater events could draw crowds away from the Fox; however, Roths said, "It's hard to compete with a roof."
Hays City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs said an outdoor venue could only be used three to four months out of the year because of the weather.
Group members suggested that the amphitheater would need to be leased for ticketed events with some entity as a manager.
Several pickleball players attended the meeting and expressed concerns about the potential removal of the pickleball courts in Municipal Park to make way for an amphitheater. They said more courts are needed in the community.
They also said they hated to lose the Municipal Park location because it has trees and other barriers that protect the courts from wind.
The committee's next step is to research data on attendance at existing events in Hays and the operations of similar venues in the state.