Blossom Music Center facts for kids
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| Address | 1145 W Steels Corners Rd. |
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| Location | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 41°11′29″N 81°33′38″W / 41.191298°N 81.560678°W |
| Owner | Musical Arts Association (non-classical booking by Live Nation) |
| Type | amphitheater |
| Capacity | 23,000 |
| Opened | 1968 |
Blossom Music Center, often called Blossom, is a large outdoor concert venue in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, United States. It is the summer home for The Cleveland Orchestra and hosts their yearly Blossom Festival. The Musical Arts Association, which also runs the Orchestra, owns Blossom Music Center.
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Why is it Called Blossom?
Blossom Music Center is named after the Blossom families, especially Dudley S. Blossom Sr. and Jr. The Blossom family was very supportive of the Musical Arts Association. The people in charge felt they deserved this special honor.
What Does Blossom Look Like?
The main stage area, called the pavilion, is built from slate and steel. It can seat 6,051 people. Behind the pavilion, there's a big grassy lawn where another 15,000 people can sit and enjoy the show. Blossom is special because of its natural shape, the sloped roof of the pavilion, and the beautiful wooded area around it.
The Idea Behind Blossom
For many years, musicians in The Cleveland Orchestra didn't have jobs playing music all year round. In the early 1950s, they sometimes played in places like Public Auditorium or even at Cleveland Stadium before baseball games.
In the mid-1960s, the Orchestra's music director, George Szell, wanted to find summer jobs for his musicians. So, in 1965, the Musical Arts Association started looking for a place to build a new summer home for the Orchestra. Szell had a clear idea: he wanted a truly amazing and attractive place for summer concerts.
Finding the Perfect Spot
In July 1966, the Musical Arts Association bought about 571 acres (231 ha) of land in what was then Northampton Township. This spot was about 10 miles (16 km) north of Akron and 30 miles (48 km) south of Cleveland. Later, they bought more land, bringing the total to 800 acres (320 ha).
By 1967, they started a fundraising effort called the "Half Century Campaign." They wanted to raise money to build Blossom's pavilion. Many people helped design and build the amphitheater. They raised $6.6 million, and construction began on July 2, 1967.
Blossom's Grand Opening
The very first concert at Blossom Festival happened on July 19, 1968. The Cleveland Orchestra played Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, led by George Szell. This special event was even shown live on TV!
The next year, in 1969, Blossom hosted its first Fourth of July concert. It was led by Meredith Willson, who wrote the famous musical The Music Man.
Updates and Changes at Blossom
In 2003, Blossom got a big upgrade! They spent $17 million to improve many areas. This included the sound system, the stage, services for guests, parking lots, and the landscaping.
In 2011, the Musical Arts Association sold 580 acres of undeveloped land at Blossom to the National Park Service. This helped the Orchestra financially and also protected the beautiful natural surroundings of the venue.
More Than Just Classical Music
Blossom is also a very popular place for other kinds of music, like folk, rock, and country concerts.
- In 1969, just one year after opening, a Blood, Sweat and Tears concert had 24,364 people, which was a record at the time.
- An unofficial guess says that 32,000 people came to a Pink Floyd concert in 1973!
- Blossom has hosted many big music festivals, including Lollapalooza, Mayhem Festival, Ozzfest, and Vans Warped Tour.
- The Michael Stanley Band, a very popular group in Northeast Ohio, set an attendance record in 1982. They had four sold-out shows with a total of 74,404 fans!
- Rock artist James Taylor was the first to play two nights in a row at Blossom in 1979. Over 42,000 people came to his shows.
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
- Live Nation
