Woodstock’s New Amphitheater Breaks Ground!

On Saturday, September 12, 2015, the City of Woodstock officially broke ground on the new amphitheater project in Downtown Woodstock.

Woodstock Mayor, Donnie Henriques, said, “This project has been long discussed, and I’m pleased that we’re moving forward with this addition to our city.”  “Construction will take about nine months to a year to complete,” said City Manager, Jeffrey S. Moon. The new amphitheater will feature tiered grass seating for 5000-6000, restrooms, retaining walls and a band shell with a green room. It’ll be used for outdoor concerts, dramas and other activities. “We’ve designed it in such a way that it’ll also be a very usable park on a daily basis,” Moon added.

The Amphitheater at City Center is a game changer for Woodstock. It will have a significant economic impact, while providing a venue for our residents to enjoy year-round events and entertainment.

The main funding source for the amphitheater is going to be SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax dollars). The City of Woodstock has over 3 million dollars designated for parks and recreation improvements allocated in the current SPLOST cycle. The great thing about SPLOST funding is that the tax burden to the City of Woodstock residents is minimal. Every time someone shops and purchases anything in Cherokee County, including at the Outlet Shoppes of Atlanta and at the new Cabela’s, the City gets a portion of that sale in SPLOST.  What that means is that a huge portion of the amphitheater is going to be paid for by people from surrounding cities, counties and even other states.

The amphitheater will be the official venue for the Woodstock Summer Concert Series. After wrapping up its 18th year, our concert series is well-established with a large following. Each year, the Woodstock Concert Series continues to generate excitement within the community and provide an opportunity to enjoy some of the best recording artists in the country.

We look forward to continuing this long-standing tradition in our new amphitheater. 2016’s concert series will have an adjusted schedule based on the construction timeline and anticipated completion of the project.