Country stars Clay Walker and Tracy Lawrence will be the Ellis-Porter Riverside Park Amphitheater's first show, venue operators announced Monday.
The two will hit the stage May 22, and tickets will go on sale Friday.
Walker is known for songs such as "Live Until I Die," "Dreaming With My Eyes Open" and "This Woman And This Man."
Tracy has released more than nine albums since 1991.
Lynn Cannon, executive director of the Riverside Park Amphitheater, said part of what goes into booking an act is the interests of those in the area.
"Demographics support this type of act," she said. "When we look at booking acts, we look at ticket sales in the marketplace, and our Ticketmaster is our ticketing partner and they have a lot of really good data that we're able to research and try to find out if it would be something that would work in this market. We also work with the artists and their agents themselves because they obviously know as good as anyone does, where they will sell tickets."
Tickets will be available on Ticketmaster. Prices are $42-$59 depending on where the seat is.
The amphitheater is owned by Jefferson City, which entered a contract with VenuWorks in November to organize and run events. It is nearing the end of a $2.8 million renovation project that includes new restrooms, storage and electrical rooms behind the stage along with seating for about 2,500 people.
JJ Gates, assistant director of the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, said work is 80-85 percent complete.
Most of the remaining work, he said, is softscape - such as landscaping and tree planting - and the plaza area.
Weather offered some delays early this year, Gates said, but he expects the project to be completed in late April or early May.
Construction started June 2020. Once complete, the amphitheater will hold about 500 fixed seats with about 2,000 lawn seating farther back.
Cannon said, along with booking more national touring shows, she's looking to work with local entertainers.
"For example, I've talked to one of the local high schools about doing their spring band concert," Cannon said. "I've got a couple of different 5Ks that are looking to use the amphitheater, as part of their events. We're partnering with the Chamber of Commerce on their leadership class for their battle of the brews this summer, and we'll even try to come up and dream up some events that we can do ourselves. We're just going to dream it up and make it happen."
Cannon said she's looking for a naming rights sponsor for the amphitheater.
Part of the plan, she said, is to work with food trucks for food and beverage services at the park.
Gates said he expects people to have questions about parking, which they're working on.
Team members are reaching out to state lots for overflow parking and they're looking at being able to park in grass when the weather allows, he said.
"That's a challenge for us, but I think we'll work through that," he said. "It'll accommodate quite a few of the events, it's just the bigger events that we'll have to get creative with the parking for those who are attending."