Mauldin Cultural Center Announces Railroad Concert Series

Railroad Concert Series

• Jan. 20 — Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues
• Feb. 17 — Angela Easterling & the Beguilers
• April 27 — Last Road Bluegrass
• May 18 — Cravin' Melon

The Mauldin Cultural Center has been years in the making.

The Cultural Center, along with the Mauldin Sports Center, and the property that joins the two have been a huge component in forming a unified City Center.

On Monday evening, the public had an opportunity to take a look at the first phase of during an open house, where the center's Railroad Concert Series was announced.

Four locally, regionally and nationally acclaimed artists will take the stage at the facility and it's all free to the community.

The series will open Jan. 20 with Mac Arnold and Plate Full of Blues, followed by Angela Easterling and the Beguilers on Feb. 17; Last Road Bluegrass on April 27; and Cravin' Melon on May 18.

Tickets will be available beginning Dec. 1.

The makeover of the Cultural Center's auditorium was completed just in time to welcome back former students for a "reunion" at the center, which was at one time an elementary school, on Saturday.

Christina Krieger moved to Mauldin two years ago. She said she loves the way Mauldin does things and couldn't wait to see the Cultural Center.

"I'm a big fan," Krieger said. "I love the sign that welcomes you into the town that says 'Expect Great Things,' it's true in Mauldin."

Her friend Eva Cagigas has lived in the town for six years. She said she sees the difference that city officials want to make.

"I was curious to see what they had done," Cagigas said. "The city really wants to make things better for residents and I appreciate them doing all that they do for the citizens."

Phase 1 of the project was a complete overhaul of the Cultural Center’s grounds, which included a new front parking lot, memorial walking trail and an outdoor amphitheater.

Inside the building's auditorium, the stage was repaired, the ceiling was raised and a fresh coat of paint was applied. The next step, according to George McLeer, executive director for the facility said would be to add a lobby and to complete the landscaping around the building.

Mayor Don Godbey said that this project has been a long time in the making. He said the project had transcended three mayors and a number of city council members.

"We are moving in the right direction to creating a city center," Godbey said.

Godbey said that Mauldin was a bedroom community and had been more of a crossroads for years, with no main street and no downtown. He said it had always been the desire of the residents, the council and former mayors to create a city center.

A member of council when the city purchased the property, Godbey said it is nice to see the first phase of the project come to fruition.

"This will be a place to promote cultural and community events," Godbey said "Meetings, art exhibits, and a performance theater which will be available to the citizens of Mauldin and the community."

Godbey said some groups, such as Furman University, already have been using the space, which has seen almost 20,000 plus users in the last year.

George McLeer, executive director for the facility, said this is just the first phase of the project and that bigger things are coming.

"This is the city's most immediate thing they can do to help create a better identity for Mauldin," McLeer said. "It's a great place for people to come and to congregate."

McLeer said the facility is both a physical building and a nonprofit business. The nonprofit manages all events that occur in the facility, which is owned by the City of Mauldin.

The auditorium still has a $2 million project out there, once the money is raised which will include more landscaping, a lobby and raising the roof in the space.

The center will house classes for art education in visual arts, music, theatre and dance, which will all start around $100. Dinner theatre performances also will be held at the venue beginning in March.