Harrisburg council hopes to add pavilion for riverfront entertainment

Harrisburg’s city council has given the go-ahead for a grant application, which may result in a new entertainment pavilion in Riverfront Park.

At a city council meeting on Tuesday, a resolution was passed ratifying the submission of a grant application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program.

The grant, if awarded, would total $117,228, and would go toward the funding of a pavilion in Riverfront Park. The proposed location is near 600 N. Front St., adjacent to the Civic Club building near Liberty Street.

In the resolution, the pavilion is described as a “multipurpose, open-sided 24×20 pavilion” that will “allow the city to bring a variety of programming and new events to the Downtown area, which will help further drive tourism and economic development.”

“The pavilion would be the first and only pavilion within Riverfront Park, which spans nearly 4 miles along the Capital Area Greenbelt and Susquehanna River,” the resolution states, noting that it could be used for events and activities such as “fitness classes, arts and crafts workshops, first aid and safety lessons, movie nights and more.”

According to the resolution, the grant application requires a 15% local match, which will come from the city’s Special Events Fund.

But that investment would also save the city in the long run, potentially within the first year.

The resolution notes that Harrisburg typically pays between $17,500 and $21,000 annually for the rental of temporary stages, which are used during events like the Ice & Fire Festival, Artsfest, and the Kipona Festival.

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