Ranch owner pitches concert site

LOVELAND – Sam Lavin can imagine the likes of Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson singing in her front yard.

In order to fulfill her vision, Lavin wants to convert part of her Larimer County ranch into an outdoor concert venue.

Lavin, who owns 1,455 acres between Loveland and the Big Thompson Canyon, has proposed a $25 million facility on her land that would be one of Northern Colorado’s largest concert settings.

Called Serenade Park, the venue could accommodate up to 9,000 concertgoers, roughly the same capacity as the famous Red Rocks amphitheater west of Denver.

Unlike Red Rocks, Lavin said she wants her 230-acre project to be tailored toward country-and-western and soft-rock performers.

“This is being built for our age generation – for 35 to 105,´ said Lavin, 47. “It will never be punk or hard rock.”

Initial designs for Serenade Park – 9800 W. U.S. Highway 34 – include offices and backstage facilities totaling 27,500 square feet. The concert venue itself would be partially covered by an awning that would span about 72,000 square feet or 1.6 acres, enough to shelter about 3,000 people and a dance floor.

Remaining seating would be on a lawn that extends uphill from the stage. The stage would have its back to U.S. Highway 34, which passes on the south side of Lavin’s ranch.

Grounds around the concert area would include trails for hiking and horse-drawn carriage rides, a games area, flower gardens and picnic grounds.

“The trademark I want for Serenade Park is flowers,” Lavin said. “I want to make a garden that will blow people away.”

Lavin, who has a background in dance and musical festival production, said the concert season at Serenade Park would be from Memorial Day to mid October. Concerts would start at 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, typically wrapping up by 5 p.m. Post-concert activities would include a “Saturday Night Dance” under the awning.

She expects the facility to create about 75 jobs, including security, stage help, hospitality and food-and-beverage workers. Lavin’s business, Serenade Park LLC, would also have offices in the backstage area.

“Certain artists will prefer to play outdoor venues, especially in Colorado,” Beegle said.

Lavin expects to make a formal submittal of the project proposal to Larimer County officials by early summer. She hopes to start construction by the end of this year and open in time for the summer season of 2005.

on Facebook on LinkedIn