Celebration Set Tonight for Renovated Bergfeld Park Amphitheater

TYLER — It’s taken an an extra week, but Tyler is now ready to welcome a renovated local landmark to the community. Due to inclement weather, the Bergfeld Summer Showcase was rescheduled from last Thursday till this evening from 6:30 till 8:00. The event celebrates the redesign and reopening of Bergfeld Park’s Amphitheater and the new Centene Stage. Tyler Civic Theater and the City of Tyler are collaborating on the show. City personnel say everyone’s invited to watch and sing along to songs and scenes from the shows “Rock of Ages,” “Peter Pan Jr. the Musical” and “Legally Blonde the Musical.” Food trucks will be on site, and attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and portable seating.

In 2016, the City of Tyler accepted a $325,000 donation from Centene Charitable Foundation for the renovation of the historic Bergfeld Amphitheater. The amphitheater was originally built in 1936 by a donation from Sears-Roebuck & Co., after the Tyler Sears was the only store to turn a profit during the Great Depression.

Centene’s donation, along with an additional $100,000 in private donations, $162,000 from the Parks and Recreation budget, and $400,000 from Half Cent Sales Tax funds, will update the amphitheater for modern day usage. That includes updating sound and light features, fixing drainage issues, shading seats, and creating a grassy area for seating in the back section of seats. The amphitheater will be able to maintain its local and state historic designations by keeping the rock wall around it.