Talks around Evansville's Mesker Amphitheatre not dead, not active
EVANSVILLE – Talks over Mesker Amphitheatre aren't active. But they aren't dead, either. That's the purgatorial state of Evansville's historic outdoor venue more than a year after the Board of Park Commissioners accepted a proposal from an outside entity to potentially lease it and raise it from the dead. The person behind that proposal – Tim Drake, owner of The Mill amphitheater in Terre Haute, Indiana – was the only party to express interest during a 60-day window for proposals between July and September of 2025. Talks between Drake and the city apparently stalled, though, and everyone involved has remained tight-lipped ever since . On Monday, Anna Raben, spokeswoman for Mayor Stephanie Terry's office, said "there have been no recent developments in discussions with The Mill." "However, conversations have not been formally closed," she said. "We will share additional information if there are any updates." In a previous email to the Courier & Press, Raben said the city is looking into the possibility of "an" amphitheater. The focus is on "identifying an approach that best serves the community’s long-term interests." Problems at Mesker Amphitheatre None of that is great news for Mesker itself. The 74-year-old venue has hosted everyone from
