DeSoto Amphitheater
With live music season fully underway, the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art has a full slate of shows for its annual summer concert series, while also celebrating the tenth anniversary of its DeSoto Amphitheater.
The series, which takes place at the amphitheater outside of the center’s building in Millersburg, began May 25 with the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet and will conclude Sept. 21 with Heart tribute band Heart by Heart. Other performances for the milestone year include Gamut Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Woods and Billy Joel’s original touring band, Lords of 52nd Street, which played this past Saturday.
Tenth anniversary festivities like decorations, giveaways, and donation drives will be a part of their concerts, which Amphitheater Volunteer Coordinator and Arts & Entertainment Committee member Linda Enders considered to be “the cherry on top of the sundae,” adding to an already exciting season.
The concert series began before the amphitheater was built and was pioneered by its namesake, Carole DeSoto, a long-time patron of the arts in the region. Arts & Entertainment Committee Chairperson Christopher Dietz said DeSoto is a “visionary” who has been “instrumental” in many community-improvement projects such as bringing the Harrisburg Area YMCA to northern Dauphin County and the expansion of the Dauphin County Library System.
“I think the amphitheater is a similar extension of that vision and bringing a cultural component…maybe folks would not have the opportunity to see a ballet in person or Shakespeare performance,” Dietz said.
Accessibility and welcoming all have been goals from the very beginning, said Ned Smith Operations Manager Alexandra Singer.
“You shouldn’t have to worry about how much change is in your pocket to come here and have a good time,” Singer said. “Mother nature doesn’t have a price tag and we try to limit ours greatly.”
The amphitheater, at its genesis in 2014, was created to meet a simple goal—to be an outdoor venue that could showcase the beauty of nature while highlighting artists wanting to perform. Since then, it has become “a destination of entertainment here in [the] valley,” according to Erin Margerum who serves on both the center’s Arts & Entertainment Committee and the Board of Trustees.
“It takes a while to build the program and to draw the community and the public into it,” Amphitheater Stage Manager and board member Ray Enders said. “So, I think the humble beginnings gave us a very strong foundation to be able to bring in some national acts and very good local talent.”
Early shows had a capacity of 50 to 80 people, but now crowds reach from 300 to 350.
“We usually ask, ‘who’s new to the center and has never been here before?’ And there’s always a large number of hands in the audience for that,” Dietz said.
One unforeseen plus to being an outdoor venue was its ability to be open during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing entertainment at a time with few other options.
“There were people who came out to the theater because it was the only place they could see live music,” Margerum said. “It afforded us the opportunity for people to sort of exhale and have a normal evening for a couple hours.”
Dietz said the amphitheater has also been a “gateway” to the mission and resources offered by the center as a whole. Last year, Linda suggested the center’s art gallery stay open before concerts to give people something to do while they waited, which had very positive results.
“[We had] more people then than we got during the week,” Linda Enders said. “Plus, we’ve brought in more money just by putting a container out rather than charging.”
The galleries will continue to be free year round, as will the surrounding trails, the playground, and more featured at the center.
“If you come over the mountain, we’ll make it worth your while,” Margerum said.
The Ned Smith Center is located at 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg. Click here for more information on the entertainment offered by the center and the upcoming concerts.
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