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The grand opening of Peoples Natural Gas Park on Saturday included a full night of events for everyone who showed up to enjoy.
Doors opened at 4:30 p.m. and the event started at around 5, with speakers Richard Burkert, president and CEO of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association; Mark Pasquerilla, chairman of Johnstown Area Heritage Association; Morgan O’Brien, president and CEO of Peoples Natural Gas; and Todd Wagner, chairman of the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival and member of the JAHA board.
“This is amazing and I am blown away the park,” O’Brien said.
“I think it’ll be used for a lot of other events and the location is phenomenal. When we met JAHA, we saw they had a clear vision. We want to try and change our image, make the region better and create jobs. We are committing to all the communities we serve.”
The park will host the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival Aug. 3-5.
About 700 people were expected to show up to the dedication, and the tickets for the event could have been purchased at floodcitymusic.com in advance for $15, plus a handling in advance fee, or at the door for $22.
The dedication ceremony featured musical artists Black Coffee, Eilen Jewell, Los Straitjackets and Tab Benoit.
Along with the music, the event also featured a cash bar that offered beer, wine and mixed drinks, and there was food vending.
“I’m very happy with how it turned out,” Burkert said. “We wanted to do something that fit in context and looked like an extension of the mill. It’s a high- quality space with an industrial quality as well. It’s distinct and new, but it fits in well and showcases our heritage. Our goal is to bring people downtown and I think this park is good for the community.”
‘This is one of the best outdoor venues between Pittsburgh and Ebensburg, with a lot of good artists that are up and coming set to play,” Pasquerilla said.
“This is much better than I could have imagined.”
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