Fraze Pavilion attracts people near and far with its variety of events
For decades, Fraze Pavilion has been devoted to community. Its mission has been bringing residents and visitors together for live entertainment, fun and making lasting memories.
“One thing that makes the Fraze different from other amphitheaters is it is more than just a music or a concert venue. It’s really a community gathering place,” says Dan Schlegel, marketing specialist at Fraze Pavilion. “We have the festivals, other free events and, this year, we’ve added a movie series, Fraze Flicks, which we are showing on a brand new, 40-foot screen.
“It kicks off with a party, where you can meet friends and neighbors, and all of the movies are on a Friday or a Saturday evening. One of the reasons we went with a movie series is to extend our season. The movie series goes until mid-October. So, now, our season is a little bit longer,” Schlegel says. “There’s a total of eight movies, and we tried to choose movies that would appeal to everybody. It’s just another way for people to get together with family, friends and neighbors.”
In addition to the party and the movie, attendees will also be able to enjoy a live DJ playing music and food trucks in the Fraze “lobby.”
Fraze Pavilion, a popular outdoor venue, continues to host a wide variety of concerts, movie nights, festivals and events, and family-friendly programming each year. The 4,300-seat amphitheater is located at 695 Lincoln Park Blvd. in Kettering.
“This is our 35th full season at the Fraze, and we have been a destination. Fraze Pavilion is the crown jewel of the Kettering community. Everybody in the area is familiar with the Fraze,” Schlegel says. “Our goal has always been to provide fun, affordable entertainment.”
The Fraze opened in 1991, and was named after Ermal Fraze, a late reside of Kettering and inventor of the pop-top beverage can.
“It’s a nice outdoor place to gather in the summer. It’s beautiful and peaceful,” Schlegel says. “Crowds vary, depending on the event. Concerts do attract people from the entire region, including Columbus, Cincinnati, north of Dayton, Piqua and as far as Indianapolis. For some of the bigger concerts, we get people from California, New York and Canada.”
For community events, such as the free festivals and events, there is no real way to gauge exactly where everyone is coming from, but they are coming from throughout the region, he says.
“Two of our premier festivals, Kickin’ Chicken WingFest and BaconFest are based around food and music. There are bands playing in the park. Usually, we have two-to-three bands that play, a variety of food vendors from different restaurants and food trucks, and these are two of our signature festivals. They have been staples for us,” says Schlegel.
Fraze will also host many concerts this month, including ZZ Top on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m., delivering the signature sound that defined ZZ Top for more than 50 years.
