Band shell at McCook’s in Niantic to open Friday

New venue will feature plays, concerts and more

East Lyme — There’s a new venue in town for outdoor plays, concerts and other performances.

The first concert at the McCook Point Park band shell in Niantic will be held Friday evening, along with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Three local organizations — the East Lyme Public Trust Foundation, Niantic Lions Club and Niantic Rotary Club — and the town collaborated to install the band shell, which Parks and Recreation Department Director David Putnam said provides another amenity for people to enjoy the town’s parks.

“It’s an opportunity for people to get together and enjoy some neat summer concerts,” said Putnam, who is also the current president of the Rotary Club. “We hope to have some plays there, too.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. Friday. The East Lyme Public Trust Foundation Vice President John Hoye and local and state officials will speak during the dedication. Representatives from the Public Trust Foundation, Rotary and Lions

will cut the ribbon.

The Paul Lussier Band will perform from 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

The three organizations and the town began preliminary discussions on the band shell about two years ago, Putnam said. The Parks and Recreation Commission had identified it as a potential project for McCook Point Park, he said.

Hoye, of the East Lyme Public Trust Foundation, thought it would be a good project for the Public Trust Foundation to collaborate on with the Lions and Rotary Clubs.

The organizations each had been wanting to do projects similar to a band shell, Putnam said. For example, the Lions had been interested in donating a portable stage. The three organizations each pledged $20,000, while the town contributed $15,000 toward the band shell, he said. The contractor was Lussier Development Corp.

The three organizations each had representatives on the band shell committee that reviewed hundreds of designs before getting approval for the final design from the Parks and Recreation Commission, he said. The recently built structure is about 40 feet wide in the front and tapers off to 15 feet in the back.

“Today is the result of three service organizations and the town Parks and Rec Dept. working together to provide a venue that everyone in town will enjoy for years to come,” Bill Allen, past president of the Niantic Lions Club, wrote in an email.

“I think for our town it’s just amazing what community spirit we have,” said Niantic Rotary Club past President Deb Fountain. “When you have three organizations that care so much about the town — and to have them come together and be able to collaborate on a project to better the town —

it’s just great energy.”

First Selectman Mark Nickerson, who is also a drummer for The Paul Lussier Band, said the three organizations stepped up after the town realized the challenge of funding the project.

The band shell will be a great performance stage, not only for music and theater, but also hopefully other events, such as school performances, he said.

“Music brings people together, as does theater, and McCook’s has always been a place where East Lyme gathers for events,” Nickerson added. “This will just be another great reason to come together.”

Putnam encouraged attendees to bring chairs and a picnic for Friday’s concert.

The Parks and Recreation Department will hold Friday night concerts, which will run from July 21 through Aug. 25, at the band shell.