The Pavilion (Scranton, Pennsylvania) facts for kids

The Pavilion is a cool outdoor concert place in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It's part of the Montage Mountain Ski Resort. This spot is also known as the Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center.

It started as a temporary stage in 1992. People loved it so much that a permanent concert venue was built and opened in 2000.

History of The Pavilion

In 1990, the Montage Mountain Ski Area started holding music festivals. This helped them earn extra money when it wasn't ski season. A temporary stage with open grass seating opened on July 3, 1992. The first concert there was by Chubby Checker.

Growing Popularity and Expansion

This temporary place was called the Montage Mountain Amphitheater. It quickly became very popular. Scranton became an important city for concerts because of it. In 1994, the resort worked with Metropolitan Entertainment. They wanted to have even more concerts.

The temporary stage stayed, but they added bleacher seats. The number of people who could attend grew from 5,000 to 16,000. The name also changed to the Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center.

Building the Permanent Venue

Starting in July 1994, the venue hosted a summer concert series every year. The concerts in 1999 were so successful that the owners decided to build a permanent place. This big project cost $6 million. Construction began in November 1999.

The new venue covers 70 acres of the ski resort. There's a wooded area between the concert space and the parking lots. Building finished in June 2000, just in time for the new Coors Light Silver Bullet Concert Series. The new Pavilion opened on June 24, 2000, with a concert by Harry Connick Jr. The next day, Britney Spears performed! The venue made a lot of money for the resort and the area. In its first two years, it earned $10 million.

Changes in Management and Name

In 2002, Clear Channel Communications took over running the venue. They also brought in the first sponsor, Ford Motor Company. When Clear Channel became Live Nation, Toyota Motor Corporation became the new sponsor.

In 2007, the roof of the Pavilion collapsed during a big snowstorm. The owners had to rebuild the roof. They also used this chance to replace the seats and update the lights, sound, and video equipment. Everything was ready for the summer concert season in 2007.

In 2013, Toyota's sponsorship agreement ended. They decided not to renew it. So, the venue became known as The Pavilion at Montage Mountain starting January 1, 2014.

Naming History of The Pavilion

Here's how the venue's name has changed over the years:

Temporary Location Names

• Montage Mountain Amphitheater (July 1992 – May 1994)
• Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center (June 1994 – September 1999)

Permanent Location Names

• Coors Light Amphitheatre (June 2000 – May 2002)
• Ford Pavilion (June 2002 – May 2006)
• Toyota Pavilion (June 2006 – December 2013)
• The Pavilion (January 2014 – Present)

Exciting Events at The Pavilion

The Pavilion has hosted many famous artists and music festivals. It's a popular spot for big concerts.

Notable Concerts and Tours

The amphitheater hosted the Tattoo the Earth Tour on July 21, 2000. This show featured many bands like Slipknot, Slayer, Sevendust, and Sepultura. It also had 42 tattoo artists from different countries.

Van Halen played at the temporary venue twice. They performed on August 27, 1995, and July 28, 1998.

In June 2005, The Dave Matthews Band visited for the first time. They were the first music act to completely sell out the Pavilion. Over 18,000 people came to see them! They sold out the venue again in July 2006. Their concert on July 14, 2010, was even recorded and released as a live album called Live Trax Vol. 22.

Kings of Leon were supposed to play on June 8, 2010. The Whigs were set to open for them. However, the show was canceled because someone was sick.

Popular Music Festivals

The amphitheater has been home to many music festivals. These include:

• All That! Music and More Festival
• Anger Management Tour
• Crüe Fest and Crüe Fest 2
• H.O.R.D.E. Festival
• Lilith Fair
• Lollapalooza
• Mayhem Festival
• Ozzfest
• Peach Music Festival
• Up in Smoke Tour
• Uproar Festival
• Vans Warped Tour

Country Music Success

Luke Bryan was the first country artist to sell out a show at the venue. His concert was on July 30, 2015. He was on his Kick the Dust Up Tour, with Randy Houser and Dustin Lynch opening for him.

The Peach Music Festival

The Peach Music Festival is a special event started by The Allman Brothers Band. It has been held every year at the venue since 2012. This festival lasts for several days in mid-August. It uses stages around the venue and the nearby Montage Mountain Ski Resort. During the summer, the ski resort turns into a large water park, which is also part of the festival fun!

See also

• List of contemporary amphitheatres
• Live Nation