With the rain and the snow in our rear-view mirror, construction is getting underway for the new main stage at the Washington County Fair Park.
“This isn’t Summerfest but it’s our little piece of Summerfest,” Joshua Schoemann, Washington County administrator, said. The new 50 x 100-foot stage, financed in partnership with West Bend Mutual Insurance, is part of a plan to upgrade the facilities at Washington County Fair Park and attract new talent to the venue.
Construction of the new amphitheater stage will be completed in time for the July 26, 2016 Washington County Fair.
Some other tidbits about the new stage:
-“Our admissions are remaining the same,” said Sandy Lang, executive director of Washington Co. Fair Park and Conference Center. There will be no additional charges to see a performance from the grassy hill at the Silver Lining Amphitheater during the fair.
-“This is permanent and it will be attractive to other venues coming in,” said Lang. “It’s a win, win all around.”
-“The existing stage will be totally removed,” said Chris Zwygart, vice president-chief risk officer at West Bend Mutual
-None of the current policy holders with West Bend Mutual will see a rate increase because of this project. “We are pleased, as part of our philanthropy program, to set aside money in a charitable trust that helps us with charitable contributions and that allows us to draw from that trust without affecting insurance premiums,” said Zwygart. “Making our community a better place to live and work is beneficial for everyone including our company and our policy holders. When we’re able to attract individuals of higher talent to serve our policy holders, everybody wins including the community.”
-“And the taxes won’t go up for people in the community so they win twice,” said Schoemann.
-“I never thought this would happen for the Washington County Fair Grounds,” Lang said. “In the long run this will help draw more than the six days of the county fair.”
-“We chose a gift to Washington County because this is a place we’ve considered home,” Zwygart said. “This has been our home the last 120 years and the community has been very supportive of us and that’s why we wanted to give this gift back to this community.”
-“We wanted to hit the sweet spot with some of the design elements that Summerfest may have but we also have the at-home feel that a smaller community would have,” said Zwygart.
-“The idea of having more acts, smaller acts is definitely a possibility,” said Zwygart.
-“Thank you, thank you, thank you to West Bend Mutual Insurance Company,” County Board Chairman Herb Tennies said. “This will help make the Washington County Fair Park one of the best in Wisconsin.”