Silver Lake Stage dedication set for July 10

There’s a new open-air performance stage in town.

On July 10 at 6 p.m. the Silver Lake Stage at the Kline-Cuppoletti park facility will be dedicated.

Marlise Riffel of the Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability and the Virginia Market Square Farmers Market initiated the idea in the summer of 2022 while brainstorming with Brian Silber, Virginia Parks & Recreation Director.

After a few too many showers drenched musicians at the market, it was time for a new way to host entertainment.

“Wouldn’t it be great to have a real stage for performers at the market?” Riffel asked Silber. He agreed and the two began exploring adding an outdoor stage to the south end of the park facility.

That same summer, Riffel had raised enough in donations to purchase 11 locally-built park benches for the market.

AEOA, Olcott Park Brewfest, and the Virginia Elks along with several individual donors funded the benches and local pastor Eric Roth built them. They are equipped with arm rests and built to the ADA seat height in order to accommodate those who need assistance.

For the stage itself, Riffel began writing grants and Silber began working with the City of Virginia for permission to add the structure and a strategy to level and pave an area large enough to support it.

The Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation, the Virginia Community Foundation, and the Farmers Market provided funding while Seppi Concrete donated the class 5 and concrete, Altobelli-Peterson donated portions of the guttering needed, and the City donated labor.

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council funded concerts on the stage during farmers market hours during the summer of 2023. And this summer, Virginia Community Foundation is funding the Wednesday night series “Concerts on the Trail,” a combination of entertainment by IROMA (Iron Range Original Music Association) musicians and a hike around the newly-renovated Silver Lake Trail.

Virginia Parks and Recreation is co-sponsoring the series. It all begins on Wednesday, July 10, with PKMayo (Paul Mayasich of Eveleth—American Rock Hall of Fame and American Blues Hall of Fame) performing the opening concert.

We’ll dedicate the new stage at 6 p.m. followed by the concert and a hike around Silver Lake Trail. We hope the new floating bridge will be installed by then, but, if not, we’ll hike anyway.

The concerts and hikes continue on Wednesday evenings, 6-7:30 p.m. on July 17, 24, 31, August 7, 14, 21, 28 and September 11 and 18. Events are free and open to the public. The park facility will be open for restrooms during the event. So, bring a picnic, enjoy the music, and take the family on a hike! Silver Lake Trail is handicap-accessible and stroller-friendly. And the Kline-Cuppoletti restrooms are handicap-accessible.

In case of rain, events will move inside.