Park Theater has provided seven years of entertainment since opening in May 2015. 

Shows will continue as McMinnville officials discuss the theater’s operating budget for July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

McMinnville Parks and Recreation Department director Justin Scott presented a proposed operating budget for Park Theater to members of the city Parks and Recreation Committee. Requested was $50,000 to book acts during the fiscal year 2022-23. 

“This increase was a recommendation by the Park Theater Advisory Board,” said Scott.

Given in fiscal year 2021-22 was $30,000. The year before was $8,850. 

“We have some new voices on the Park Theater Advisory Board who have some experience in booking and have their pulse on the music scene – Bryan Kell, Christy Ross, Joe Harvey,” said Alderman Zach Sutton. “Those folks are bringing in a lot of thought process. They feel that if we had a little bit more room financially, we could get some up-and-coming acts. They won’t have a high cost to bring them in, but they will have a large draw from surrounding areas – Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville.”

The strategy, said Sutton, would be to have five concerts at a combined cost of $30,000 and the remaining $20,000 would be to continue offering Park Theater favorites such as comedians James Gregory and T.C. Cope. 

Park Theater’s proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2022-23 is $424,049. That budget was given initial review by the city Parks and Recreation Committee, but has yet to be approved.