Mountain America Center celebrates its first year
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls will be a year old in about four weeks.
It has hosted electric music performances and sporting events.
This time last year, if you wanted to go to see your favorite artist perform or check out a hockey game, odds are, you had to drive at least three hours to the nearest venue.
This community has been wanting a venue like this for so long. It’s been more than a decade in the making.
Fast forward to today, the Mountain America Center has helped keep concertgoers and sports fans in Idaho Falls.
"I think it’s awesome. It’s much better than driving all the way to Salt Lake or Boise," Todd Ramirez of Idaho Falls said.
"It’s really nice that it’s like a 40-minute drive and that’s only if there’s traffic," Paige Ramirez of Idaho Falls said.
Kelsey Salsbery is the director of marketing for the Mountain America Center.
Marketing Director Kelsey Salsbery said keeping people in Idaho Falls is part of their mission, to not only grow the center, but the Idaho Falls economy as well.
"The multi-night and stay events that we have, bring tourism here to Idaho Falls," Salsbery said. "They’re staying at our hotels, they’re eating at our restaurants and shopping in local stores, and they are coming to enjoy an event here. So, it's bridging all those businesses together just by having one event in our venue."
Since opening its doors last year, the center has brought a variety of performers.
Some artists, like Skillet, have played in Idaho Falls a number of times and were blown away by the new venue.
"We’ve been here several times but this venue is awesome," said John Cooper, lead singer of the band Skillet. "The venue is beautiful and the crowds here are always good and we needed a bigger venue. So way to go guys! Way to go!"
One thing that has gotten easier for the center in its first year is finding acts who want to book a gig.
"What we are finding more and more is that tours have seen how successful shows and events that have been here and the people of Idaho Falls have embraced them and we’re taking their phone calls because they really want to come here to play a sold-out show here at Hero Arena, Mountain America Center.
The Mountain America Center will celebrate its first anniversary on November 28th.
Kelsey tells me some things fans want and are looking forward to are Disney On Ice and professional bull riding. Salbery said they are working on state high school sporting events to come to the arena.
