1989: Deadheads descend on town of Deer Creek in search of music center

DEER CREEK, Ind. — Hoosiers of a certain age still call Ruoff Music Center by its original name, Deer Creek. The name is synonymous with the Hamilton County amphitheater that opened 35 years ago.

A lot has changed during that time including how concertgoers navigate to the venue.

While the days of hastily folded paper maps stuffed inside a vehicle's glovebox are long gone, those paper maps were often the primary means for navigating from behind the wheel.

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And so the Deer Creek many Grateful Dead fans found in July 1989 was not the Deer Creek Music Center, but rather, the town of Deer Creek, situated about 45 minutes north of the amphitheater in Carroll County.

“All these kids, Deadheads, was [sic] trying to find Deer Creek Music Center, had looked on the map [and] found Deer Creek, Indiana, and came here,” one woman told WRTV reporter David Klugh. “So we [did] what came naturally, we told them where to go.”

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Another Deer Creek resident echoed the woman’s sentiment.

“I don’t know that I like the confusion but it’s certainly keeping us busy.”

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Sunshine Promotions, the company behind the music venue, acknowledged the burden bestowed upon the tiny town. In recognition of the townspeople's assistance, Sunshine Promotions purchased a ticket to the August 1989 Anne Murray concert for every Deer Creek resident.

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“They just done [sic] what came natural for them, and out of this, here come tickets and all this publicity, they’re elated to say the least,” the woman said.

“Nobody ever heard of Deer Creek before this,” another man told Klugh.