Founders Park stage soon ready
Founder’s Park at Campbell Station Road is getting a welcome addition just in time for the 5th Annual Summer Lawn Chair Series kickoff June 15.
A covered stage, partially funded through a sizable donation from First Watch in Turkey Creek, currently is being constructed by Town Public Works department employees as time permits.
The flooring has been poured, and last week the roofing was attached.
First Watch donated $3,788.32 for the project, with half of that amount coming from patrons, which First Watch then matched.
Wendy Smith, Public Relations and Marketing coordinator for Town of Farragut, said the overall cost of the project is estimated to be about $20,000, and reasons for construction are twofold.
“First, the Town has talked about building an amphitheater for years, but there are currently no plans to build one. Founders Park has a nice bowl-shaped open space, so with a stage it’s an inexpensive and immediate solution to our need for an outdoor entertainment venue.”
She went on to note “community groups like MamaJam Productions, which runs the Lawn Chair Series, have requested a stage there for a long time.
Shandy Dixon, who operates MamaJam Productions with Amy Boling, heartily agrees.
“We are getting ready for the coming Lawn Chair season, and watching the progress of the stage has been exciting,” Dixon said.
“Founders Park is such a beautiful asset to our community, and we were so happy to see the care taken by TOF to build a structure that would not overwhelm the lawn.
“Our hope is that the stage will become an invitation to artists and musicians in our community and plant seeds of creativity in the little ones who jump up on it and imagine performing to an audience.”
The lineup for the June Lawn Chair concert is Kelsi Walker, Matt Campbell, Pale Root and Roger Alan Wade and the BAHF Orchestra, and subsequent concerts are set for July 20 and Aug. 17.
