From big bands to award banquets, Coshocton Lake Park has hosted big events for 100 years
COSHOCTON − An iconic structure in Coshocton County still in use today has reached a milestone.
The 100th anniversary of the Lake Park Pavilion will be celebrated with an open house from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the pavilion. Ken Smailes will do a history presentation at 3 p.m.
"I'm sure he will give you a thorough and entertaining perspective in regards to the history of Lake Park and the pavilion," Friends of the Park member Bob Bigrigg said about Smailes.
The Friends of the Park Fall Harvest Dance featuring the Lake Park Big Band will also be part of anniversary festivities from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the pavilion. Tickets are $15 and can be acquired by calling the park office at 740-622-7528. Attendees can bring their own snacks and drinks. Miss Ohio Madison Miller of Coshocton will stop by during the dance. Proceeds will go to pavilion upgrades. Tickets are cash or check only.
The event harkens back to the pavilion's original intentions of being a dance hall for touring big bands coming through the area on their way to bigger shows in Columbus, Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Performers included Duke Ellington, Les Brown, Benny Goodman, Sammy Kaye, Woody Herman and many more.
"It's a group of mature musicians who practically donate their time to do this to retain and remember the big band sound the pavilion was originally built for 100 years ago," said Bigrigg on the Lake Park Big Band.
Since then, the pavilion has hosted a variety of community events from Taste of Coshocton by the United Way of Coshocton County to the Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce's annual awards dinner.
"The aesthetics of the pavilion with high vaulted ceilings with the beams up there, it's just the classic look when you think of a large dance floor or celebration room," Bigrigg said. "It's a historical landmark we need to preserve."
The pavilion was constructed in 1923 by Dick and Helen Johns, who came to the area after careers as vaudevillians. They added other attractions and operated the park until 1944.
It changed hands a few times until the City of Coshocton took ownership in 1959. The Coshocton City and County Park District took over operations in 1985. More than $600,000 in renovations were done in 1995 through donations.
The pavilion can hold up to 500 people and in 2022 hosted more than 40 events. Projects for the future are replacement of the original flooring, painting the exterior and maintenance of spouting.
The Friends of the Park just doesn't focus on the pavilion, Bigrigg said. Recently, the walking path was repaved via a grant from the Coshocton Foundation. A grant from the Montgomery Foundation allowed for refurbishing of bathrooms and a gazebo at the Eagle Ridge Disc Golf Course. Money from last year's Valentine's Day Sweethearts Dance allowed for purchase of new picnic tables and updates to the pavilion kitchen.
The Friends of the Park has 78 members and is governed by a seven member board. Lake Park Executive Director Tammi Rogers said the Friends of the Park are essential to keeping the facility going.
"It's a park. It gets used. It's out in the weather. Things get rundown, things need repaired, things need replaced. It's nice to know we have this group of people dedicated to helping us out," she said. "Most people in the community agree our park system is wonderful and something that deserves to be improved and continued so many generations of people can continue to use it."
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Coshocton's iconic Lake Park Pavilion celebrates 100 years
