Ruby Amphitheater at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park a gem in downtown Morgantown

“2023 was our second season,” said Vincent Kitch, director of Arts and Cultural Development for the City of Morgantown, “which means 2024 is going to be our third season of having these concerts.”

Throughout the 2023 season, the amphitheater saw record-breaking crowds, Kitch said.

“Which concluded in August with a performance from Smash Mouth,” he said. “That concert alone shattered the record for attendance; we had between 6,000 and 7,000 people in the amphitheater.”

To cap off 2023, the amphitheater gained a new attraction, Kitch said.

“We are the new venue for the West Virginia Wine and Jazz Festival,” he said. “For many years, it was held in another location. That was one of the more notable things that happened last year.”

In 2020, the City of Morgantown did $4 million worth of renovations to the amphitheater, Kitch said.

In 2022, even more renovations were done to the property, he said.

“The old seating was just aluminum bench seating but we actually changed that to proper stadium- style seating,” Kitch said. “In 2023, we actually added even more onto our seating, which totaled out to 1,600 more available seats, 500 of which are covered in the case of inclement weather.”

According to Kitch, more lighting was added to the venue.

“We’re always working on capital projects that will make the amphitheater a better place,” he said.

One of the main projects for 2024 is the replacement of the roof, Kitch said.

“We are doing this to provide more cover on the stage for the performers in case of inclement weather,” he said. “That project is due to be finished before we open this summer.”

There is one other big project in the works, Kitch said.

“We are also in the process of constructing two accessible viewing areas at ground level,” he said. “This is being done so we have sort of an extended space with these.

These newest additions are basically skyboxes, Kitch said.

“They are going to be located in the covered area of the amphitheater,” he said. “They can be used for concert promoters or even VIP reserved seating areas.”

The 2024 projects for the amphitheater will cost a pretty penny, Kitch said.

“The total cost of both of the projects are a couple hundred thousand dollars,” he said. “The new roof alone is $130,000 but we don’t really have a total on how much the skyboxes are.”

Kitch has high hopes that the popularity of the amphitheater will continue to grow.

“Every year we have been open, we continue to grow,” Kitch said. “We’re continuing to get bigger crowds on Facebook and other social media platforms. We are just really proud of the amphitheater and what it does for the community and everyone in the region.”

Having the Ruby Amphitheater at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park is amazing for the city, said Tom Bloom, one of the county commissioners for the Monongalia County Commission.

“It really does bring people in,” he said. “There is the downside that it doesn’t make a whole lot of money. It’s a great thing for the downtown area especially during the summer time. The way it is beneficial is by bringing people into the downtown restaurants and shopping areas.”

“...Another area we see a lot of economic advancement is our hotels, “ Bloom said. “More and more people coming into town means more hotel rooms being sold.”

The lineup in Morgantown this summer includes:

June 7 — AbbaMania, tribute show

June 14 — Ace Frehley, formerly of Kiss

June 21 — Sara Evans, country star

June 28 — Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, ’80s rockers

July 12 — Resurrection — A Journey Tribute

July 19 — Postmodern Jukebox

July 26 — Hunter Girl, country singer and “American Idol” runner-up

Aug. 2 — Purple Project — A Prince Tribute

Aug. 9 — Fastball, melodic rock

Aug. 16 — Steep Canyon Rangers, bluegrass and country

Aug. 23 — Diamond Rio, country supergroup

Aug. 30 — Plain White T’s, American rock group