MOUNT VERNON – More than 1,500 visitors have attended private events at the Schnormeier Event Center since March 27 as the Ariel-Foundation Park venue rebounds after a pandemic year that saw a great reduction in crowds.
On Friday, June 18, the venue will host a concert by Popgun, a “supergroup” of central-Ohio-region musicians who will perform 70s/80s pop-rock tunes.
The SEC’s capacity approaches 3,000 guests; Mark Fritz, executive director of Ariel-Foundation Park, told the Mount Vernon News.
“It has experienced a steady stream of event requests ranging from weddings, proms, business meetings, church groups, book clubs, exercise classes and music concerts well into late 2021 and beyond,” he said.
Nearly 25,000 visitors attended events at SEC in 2019. That number dropped by 8,000 in 2020, down to 17,500. The 3,500 people at private events in 2020 were 2,000 less than the number of guests in 2020. It has been booked almost every weekend since March 27, Fritz said.
The Foundation Park Conservancy worked with the City, the State, the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Consortium and the Knox County Board of Health so that visitors have a safe but socially distanced experience, Fritz said. Though Gov. Mike DeWine lifted COVID-19 restrictions on June 2, Ariel-Foundation Park will still impose some public health controls at the SEC.
“We will limit inside seating at events to allow for air circulation and social distancing,” Fritz said. “To maintain some management of this, folks who wish to sit inside must have a wrist band.”
Some concerts require the purchase of a reserved table, while others are free but still must be reserved through the online ticket system at the park’s website, arielfoundationpark.org, under the Events tab.
The Foundation Park Conservancy invested in state-of-the-art fire suppression and warning systems at the SEC. The addition of doors carried with it the requirement for a fire suppression system.
Fritz said they plan to install fans to increase air circulation.
Pre-pandemic Fourth of July celebrations brought at least 3,000 to 4,000 visitors to the venue. Thousands more filled the surrounding terraces.
Other summer concerts typically have 1,000 to 2,000 people inside the SEC, with additional audience members venturing inside for concessions.
“A lot of these costs are underwritten by local businesses and supporters, and the conservancy manages those costs by having 100 private events or weddings,” Fritz said.
The SEC hosts other public and private events from late March to early November. Smaller affairs will have up to 750 guests, while larger events will draw numbers similar to the free concert series and the park’s Halloween event.
“Our audiences draw typically from Knox County’s 60,000 population base, but higher-profile concerts acts like McGuffey Lane and our touring Fourth of July bookings attract an extended regional and statewide audience,” Fritz said.
Ideas for winter events that would extend the months of operation are in conceptual stages, he said.
