Let history be recorded. Seattle “kindie” rock band The Not Its! were the first performers to officially grace the stage of Volunteer Park’s new amphitheater. CHS stopped through Saturday afternoon on a day of music to inaugurate the new stage and facility. The new amphitheater has a roof, storage and green room space, all-gender bathrooms, upgraded electrical access, and a new “resilient floor” to better accommodate dance performances. Saturday, the floor was put to the test with some kid-friendly rock. A summer series of concerts will follow starting Thursday, July 14th as KNKX brings an evening of jazz piano to the park’s new structure.

Organizers who helped fund the Seattle Parks project say they hope the stage enhances the landmark park while also presenting an opportunity to Seattle’s communities of arts and culture. “I’m hoping there’s community groups across the city going ‘Ooo we could do this or that there,’ and everyone in the park will benefit from the vibrancy that comes from these gatherings,” Jennifer Ott of the Volunteer Park Trust community group told CHS.

A familiar gathering will be one of the first community events on the stage. This weekend on Saturday and Sunday, July 9th and 10th, the Seattle Outdoor Theater Festival returns to Volunteer Park with a slate of Shakespeare-heavy performances that will include stagings at the new amphitheater as well as on the lawns near the Volunteer Park Conservatory and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. You’ll find more information and the full schedule at greenstage.org/sotf/

More pictures of Volunteer Park’s new stage and the improved area around — and behind the scenes of — the amphitheater are below.

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