Not-so-blank space: Attendance grows at Oswego’s outdoor amphitheater, Venue 1012

Attendance grew at Oswego’s Venue 1012 this season after a Taylor Swift tribute band kicked off the season in June with a record-setting crowd.

An estimated 3,500 people came to Venue 1012 on June 6 to hear Sparks Fly – The Taylor Swift Experience, the largest crowd to date at the venue. The free concert helped kick off the third full season of summer fun at the village of Oswego’s outdoor amphitheater, Venue 1012.

“Attendance wise, we had a phenomenal season,” Oswego assistant village administrator Jean Bueche told village trustees at their Oct. 15 Committee of the Whole meeting. “It was a great opener, and I think that really set the tone for the season. I thought it brought more awareness to the Venue in a way that we haven’t been able to reach before.”

The average attendance at Venue 1012 during the 2023 season was 317 while this year, the average attendance was approximately 893, she said. That number does not include attendance at the Pouring For Pink: Breast Cancer Benefit Concert in Oswego on Oct. 12, the last concert of this year’s season.

“We’re shifting in the right direction, for sure, in terms of getting people actually out to the venue,” Bueche said.

Owned and operated by the Village of Oswego, Venue 1012 opened in August 2021. Plans for Venue 1012 started to take shape after local business owner Kevin Fialko donated a 3-acre plot of land to the village.

The village hosted its first summer events series at Venue 1012 in summer 2022. Although its moving in the right direction, Bueche said the village needs to continue to grow its sponsorship program towards the goal of making Venue 1012 a self-supporting amphitheater.

Village trustee Kit Kuhrt said when picking bands to perform at Venue 1012, the village needs to make sure these bands are not playing at every venue in the area.

“We have to figure out what do we think is going to attract a lot of people that you haven’t heard around here,” he said. “We can’t go and get a national act. We’re not going to put out the money for that. Our venue is too new to be putting out that kind of money.”

Kuhrt noted that even though the Taylor Swift tribute show was free, the fact that so many people attended the concert was good advertising for Venue 1012.

“There’s 3,500 people that got to see our venue,” he said.

Village trustee Andrew Torres would like to see Venue 1012 used to help cultivate the arts within the community.

“I see this as an asset that could do that,” he said.

In response, Bueche said that is something the village could look at. Village trustee Karen Novy liked Torres’ idea.

“If we’re doing three free concerts, why can’t we partner with the high schools to do a battle of the bands or something,” Novy said. “I think that might go over very well.”

Village trustee Jennifer Jones Sinnott said she would like to see an event like an art show at Venue 1012 for an entire weekend. In addition, she would like the village to better promote that Venue 1012 is also available for rent.

“I think we need to market that more because people just think it’s for our use only,” Jones Sinnott said.