A park-turned-music-venue opens in Tulare. What can we expect from the first shows?

Until this year, the lot of land across from Tulare City Hall was just a passive park: grass, some trees and a few picnic tables along with a pavilion and gazebo as the centerpiece.

It’s now been transformed into the 6,000 capacity Adventist Health Amphitheater, which opens this weekend in what used to be known as Zumwalt Park.

Last week, workers were busy pouring concrete and otherwise readying the finishing touches on the park-turned-music-venue. Despite the looks, “it will be ready,” said Todd Speelman, owner of Spade Entertainment, which was awarded a five-year contract to produce events at the amphitheater.

By Monday, the grass had been rolled out and put in place, and save for the layers of dirt and dust on the concrete, the amphitheater looked ready for its official opening night.

Country singers Clay Walker, Canaan Smith and RaeLynn perform at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are on sale now.

It is the first in a trio of concerts over the next three weekends.

The rock band Buckcherry will be at the venue Saturday, Nov. 2 with Living Colour (of “Cult of Personality” fame) and Riven by Ravens on local support.

Lou Gramm, the original voice of the the classic rock group Foreigner, plays the following Saturday, Nov. 8. Asia opens the night.

A fourth event, featuring ’80s bands The Motels, The Tubes and Flock of Seagulls had been scheduled for that some weekend, but has since been postponed until next year.

A dual-purpose facility

Once the amphitheater is fully up and running, it will host an annual concert series and bring in 10 to 12 performers each year. The number of actual events will likely be closer to 20 or 30 and include not just concerts, Speelman said. For instance, early plans are in place for a month’s worth of weekend Christmas events in 2025. They would culminate with the city’s annual downtown parade.

And even when the amphitheater isn’t being used for events, it will remain open to the public as park space.

There will be a splash pad and a full playground with a kid’s zip line. Those amenities won’t be ready for the amphitheater’s opening night, but should be completed by mid-December, Speelman said. The remainder of the facility’s landscaping and other features should be done by early 2025.

Tickets and parking at Adventist Park Amphitheater

Most of the tickets for the amphitheater’s concerts will be general admission, on sections of tiered lawn that fan out from around the stage. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or low-backed lawn chairs. Prices will range from $35-$45 depending on the show, Speelman says.

There is premium seating, too.

Some 220 seats will be set up front and center stage, in a space that will also be used as standing room for the more raucous bands, he says.

Sixteen VIP boxes (eight seats each) form an arc through the middle of the venue.

Another 60 seats are set up in the Scenic View Club to the left of the stage.

The Token Farms VIP lounge puts another 25 seats actually on stage in an area that will have its own bathroom.

VIP tickets will range from $115-$145.

Of course, the venue is designed so that the views are good regardless of where you are, Speelman says.

“If you’re at the bar getting a drink, you can still hear and see everything.”

On that front, the old gazebo will serve as the venue’s main bar area and will serve specialty drinks under a partnership with Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum, the liquor brand owned by rock singer Sammy Hagar.

The partnership was announced in a statement from the Red Rocker last month.

“We can’t wait for everyone to be rocking out with a cocktail in hand,” Hagar wrote.

A second portable bar area will be brought in for larger events.

And because Speelman is already seeing the question: Yes, there is plenty of available parking. He put out an online map last week.

Premium parking will be available for $15 in one of three lots adjacent to the venue.

Additional parking is available for $10 in one of two lots a block away.

While the venue is designed for a capacity of 6,000, Speelman predicts most concerts will draw closer to 2,500 to 4,000 people. With that metric there would be nearly one spot for every person in attendance. According to the city, there more than 4,000, mostly free, parking spaces within a half-mile of amphitheater — at several city-run lots, at Tulare Union High School and in front of restaurants and businesses downtown.

Tulare city manager Marc Mondell hopes those are the spaces that will fill up as people start attending concerts at the amphitheater. “Our hope is that when they come into town, they’ll do more than go to the show,” said Mondell, who pitched the idea for the amphitheater during his interview for the city manager position three years ago.

Downtown redevelopment in Tulare

One of the first things Mondell did on the job was a Google search of the Top 10 things to do in Tulare.

“It was shocking, really.”

Among the results were outlet shopping and the International Ag Center, he said. Three of the things weren’t even in Tulare, but in Visalia.

The amphitheater was designed to fill one of those spots.

It’s an amenity for residents and a draw for those outside the city, Mondell said, competing with similar-sized venues in Fresno and Bakersfield to pull artists traveling to Los Angeles or San Francisco.

The city expects it to draw 35,000 to 50,000 people annually.

These are people who might not otherwise be engaged with Tulare, especially its downtown, Mondell said.

And the area is in the midst of a major revitalization plan. Along with funding for the amphitheater project, the city recently gave $1 million in rehabilitation grants to help several small businesses take over empty spaces downtown.

The Rancho Brazil Steakhouse and Venue has already opened on K Street. A new wine bar and a tap room are also in the works, Mondell said.

“This is the first of a lot more to come in downtown.”