LAKE GEORGE—The fire that destroyed the Shepard Park Amphitheater in Lake George over the weekend has been determined to be electrical based on investigations from state and county officials. Over the next few weeks, the Village of Lake George will look to move forward as it continues with their summer concert series in the park.
The fire began in a locked utility room adjacent to the stage. The electrical cause was confirmed by multiple inspectors and agencies involved. “All indication says that’s where it started. Nobody could have gotten in there because a padlock was still on the charred remains of the locked door,” said Ray Perry, Mayor of the Lake George Village.
It was a “transient gentleman” who was sleeping in the area that called in the fire, Perry noted.
![Lake George Bandstand Tent](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=150%2C113 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=200%2C150 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=225%2C169 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=540%2C405 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=640%2C480 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=750%2C563 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=990%2C743 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C777 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C900 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C1000 1333w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1107 1476w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/poststar.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/2c/e2cd041e-388b-11ef-b497-7b567c22992b/668423e45ccb0.image.jpg?resize=1662%2C1247 2008w)
Workers build a tent structure on the former Shepard Park Amphitheater site to prepare for July 4th activities.
While the fire raged, it destroyed several musical instruments, equipment, and the building’s structure. However, no person was injured or harmed by the fire. The surviving structure has since been demolished and cleared for safety purposes, Perry said.
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Shepard Park had been home to an open-air forum through most of the 20th century, but this current amphitheater was built in the park in 1990 and renovated in 2017. It is one of the village’s go-to locations for events and gatherings.
Since news of the fire broke there has been an outpouring of support from public and private ventures who are devastated by the destruction.
“It’s a great sense of community that’s going to come out of this,” Perry told The Post-Star.
As a starting point, officials are organizing to have a tent structure at Shepard Park to hold summer concerts in the immediate future. All planned events for this week’s Fourth of July celebration are expected to continue, including fireworks and Friday concerts at the lake.
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The bandstand in Lake George Village's Shepard Park burned and gutted sometime overnight on June 29 to 30, 2024.
Over the past 24 to 36 hours, talks have already begun about how to replace the amphitheater building. One possible solution being discussed is using funds from the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant toward the project. Designs for the new project must be submitted into the open call for submissions by late July to be eligible for the DRI.
“We’re going to be doing a call for designs to replace it with what I hope to be a bigger and better amphitheater performance hall,” Perry told The Post-Star. “I’m taking the stance that this is an opportunity for improvement.”
The hope would be to find a design that would modernize the facility while maintaining an “Adirondack style,” Perry said.
The inclusion of more amenities, including a green room, could go a long way in attracting bigger acts to the venue, Perry said. Additionally, mounted heaters, retractable doors, and an ability to see the lake in the background are all important features to consider for year-round use.
Perry told The Post-Star that within the next three weeks he would like to get a concept and an estimated price tag for the project.
Luke Mosseau is a reporter who covers Queensbury, Lake George and northern Warren Coutny. His beats are Business, Planning and Housing. Contact: 518-742-3224, [email protected].