GREENFIELD — As a musician and the lead singer of a local cover band, Tim Allen thinks the new stage at Depot Street Park is pretty impressive.
He’s even more impressed with Greenfield’s newest music venue as a longtime Hancock County resident who knows the new park and concert venue can make a huge impact on the place he calls home.
“I think it’s going to be a great venue,” said Allen, whose band, Project 19, is one of the many bands scheduled to perform at Depot Street Park this summer.
“This is going to be a really neat venue. There’s a lot of places around the surrounding area that are doing things like this, so it’s good to see Hancock County has gotten involved in the same way,” said the musician, referring to neighboring cities like Shelbyville, Fishers and Greenwood, which boast outdoor concert venues.
“I’m pretty excited about it, not only as a local musician but just as a Hancock County resident going out there to see other good artists,” he said.
Allen said the new Depot Street Park has a nice stage which is easily accessible for musicians.
“It looks like it’s well put together. You can tell they’ve put some thought behind it,” he said.
The creation of Depot Street Park and the park’s stage have been spearheaded by the City of Greenfield, which first began exploring the idea back in 2012. The city’s parks and recreation department has taken charge of managing the park’s concerts and other programming.
“We are very excited about our first year of concerts. In full transparency, we are all a little nervous as well,” said Skye Mackenzie, the parks department’s assistant director.
Mackenzie said the entire department has been working hard to build and develop Depot Street Park events, including a lineup of 10 concerts throughout the summer this year.
The Friday night concert series, called Entertainment @ Depot Street Park, is a continuation of the popular Entertainment on the Plaza concert series that Greenfield Banking Co. hosted since 1986.
This year, the bank handed over the reins of the concert series to the parks department, which has switched the venue from Courthouse Plaza to the new Depot Street Park stage.
The bank’s marketing director, Renée Rupley, thinks the new venue will be a great addition to the city and to the bank’s long-running concert series.
“It will be nice to have much less traffic noise from State Road 9 and US 40, and the elevated performing stage will improve the visibility of the performers,” said Rupley, who is also excited about the concerts being spread out more throughout the summer — two Friday evening performances each month in June, July and August versus every Friday in June and July as they have been in the past.
Depot Street Park will also host a Saturday night concert series called Live @ the Rails, starting with regional favorite Stella Luna and the Satellites on June 18.
“Our aim is to create a great family experience for all generations,” said Mackenzie. “These concert series are only the beginning.”
Tony Seiler, a local musician and owner of Greenfield Music Center, has spent the past several months lining up the musical acts for the park’s debut year.
He said he’s thrilled to have booked some hometown talent as well as popular regional acts like Stella Luna and the Satellites, which bring with them quite a loyal following of fans.
Thunderstruck, an AC/DC tribute band taking the stage July 16, has been selling out venues all across the country, said Seiler.
On Aug. 20, popular local band Nebo Ridge will open up for No Fences, which is a touring Garth Brooks tribute band. On Sept. 17, a Pink Floyd tribute band called Pink Droyd will bring its state-of-the-art light show to the stage.
Seiler is excited to bring them all to Hancock County.
“I love our town, and this venue is going to show the whole state how awesome Greenfield is,” he said.
Brigette Cook Jones, executive director of the Hancock County Tourism & Visitor Center, said the new park venue has the potential to be a real tourism driver for the county.
“We already know that the Concerts on the Plaza were very popular and drew large crowds downtown,” she said.
“These were not just all local Hancock County people, but people from Indianapolis, Knightstown, Morristown, Anderson and New Castle. It only stands to reason that with a new larger venue at Depot Street Park and the connecting nearby amenities such as the Depot Restaurant, Libby’s Ice Cream — even Tour of Italy, Wooden Bear, and Carnegie’s — we will expect to see larger groups of visitors,” said the tourism director, who thinks visitors will be drawn to Greenfield for a night of dinner and music at a reasonable price.
“Why drive to Indy when gas is so high and everything costs more, when you can experience a family-friendly event that is free in a marvelous location with lots of nearby dining options,” she said.
Mackenzie said the new park is in a prime location for visitors to enjoy nearby dining and shopping options before heading to the park for some high-end entertainment.
“The park has easy access in the heart of downtown Greenfield,” he said.
Local businesses and food trucks have been tapped to serve beer and wine at the Saturday night “Live @ the Rails” concerts.
Mackenzie suggests following Greenfield Parks & Recreation on social media for the latest concert, food and beverage information.
Once concert season finally arrives, Seiler thinks guests will be blown away by the sound at the new venue.
Allen was impressed with the venue on his first visit and can’t wait to play on the open outdoor stage. He has no doubt countless other artists will be anxious to do the same.
“Obviously there’s a lot of good talent all around the Indianapolis area. I think everybody would be very interested in playing there,” he said.
Seiler, who was recently hired as a part-time parks employee, is managing the music through his own stage and sound production company.
He anticipates a big turnout for the park’s inaugural concert season and has high hopes of booking bigger shows each year. He’s also working on booking other events at Depot Street Park, including outdoor movies and adult-sized games like Connect 4.
“This is going to be great for our growing community,” he said.
Mackenzie can’t wait to show off the new park and concert venue to the public.
The park sits alongside the Pennsy Trail, on the former Pennsylvania Railroad corridor, and carries railroad themes throughout, like picnic tables that slide along railroad tracks.
“The thoughtful design keeps in touch with the history of the railroad line, and this is reflected in the design and structures. With picnic tables, water features, art, swing chairs and interactive statues, this is a great spot,” said Mackenzie, adding that the park will eventually be available to rent.
“We anticipate this location becoming a real beacon for the community, something they can all share in and feel proud of,” he said.
Almost showtime
The new Depot Street Park in downtown Greenfield will host two free concert series this year: Entertainment @ Depot Street Park and Live @ the Rails.
The concerts will take place on a covered stage in the park, which sits between Pennsylvania and Riley streets in downtown Greenfield, on the north side of the Pennsy Trail.
Entertainment @ Depot Street Park will take place on Friday nights, carrying over the former Entertainment on the Plaza series hosted by Greenfield Banking Co. on Courthouse Square.
The series includes a few familiar faces from previous plaza performances. This year’s lineup includes:
June 3: Area Code 812, featuring Tim Wright from the Wright Brothers
June 24: Scott Greeson and Trouble With Monday Band
July 8: Cool City Band
July 29: Living Proof Band
August 5: Midtown Madmen Band
August 26: 45RPM band
Greenfield Parks & Recreation will also host a Saturday night concert series called Live @ the Rails, featuring a number of nationally-known acts. This year’s concert lineup includes:
June 18: Full Tilt, Project 19 and Stella Luna and the Satellites
July 16: Thunderstruck
August 20: Nebo Ridge, No Fences
September 17: Pink Droyd
Entertainment @ the Rails concerts start at 7 p.m.
Live @ the Rails concerts start around 6 p.m., although some times may vary.
Follow Greenfield Parks & Recreation on social media for the latest updates.
