LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center welcomed everyone in on Thursday to celebrate a major milestone. 

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - A free concert series kicked off for the summer on Thursday night at Lima's new amphitheater. 

The Greater Lima Region Park and Amphitheater is continuing a strong turnout at the Pangle Pavilion Friday evening. On Friday night, large crowds of people were filling the pavilion lawn to enjoy a concert by the Lima-born singer from "The beach Boys", Al Jardine.

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Opening weekend of the new Greater Lima Region Park and Amphitheater kicked off on Thursday night.

It was a big day as ground was broken for the new Greater Lima Region Park and Amphitheater. The project has been in the works for 5 years with funding coming in from state, local, and private dollars. While the preparations for the project have been spearheaded by the Lima Rotary Club the park will be owned and maintained by the City of Lima. A first of its kind within the city.

The center’s chief executive officer spoke to Lima Rotarians about the journey they have had through the pandemic. After closing the doors for a period of time, their comeback season started last October. Ticket sales for performances have been going well, weekend hall rentals are full, but weekday rentals have been slow.

The four-hour event raised over $54,000 from many local businesses and community members. The night was filled with numerous musical performances and interviews to raise awareness for the arts and how important the Civic Center is to downtown Lima. While the center has been able to slowly reopen its doors since being forced to close for months, they are nowhere near the scale they were before the pandemic hit.

The Civic Center Foundation will be hosting a kickoff cookout next week. The Kickoff Cookout is a free event that will be hosted next Wednesday on the Happy Daz Patio from 5 to 7 p.m. The Veterans Memorial Civic & Convention Center staff will have free brats on hand, live music, and drink specials. This event is the first of many during the 60 Days of Giving that will go to help the Civic Center bring in talent and help during the pandemic.

With catering and banquet halls allowed to increase their capacity to 300 people, the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center has begun their reopening plans. Since their business relies on large gatherings, the Civic Center has felt a hard hit since closing their doors. However, under new guidelines, they can resume with a few changes in place. For now, they can host events such as wedding receptions, graduation parties, and luncheons if they fall under capacity.