VCEDA closes $50k grant for Buchanan County amphitheater project

BUCHANAN COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) closed an up to $50,000 grant for an amphitheater in Buchanan County.

The grant will go towards the construction of the Southern Gap Amphitheater in Buchanan County.

“Adding to and improving the tourism assets already in Southwest Virginia is what the VCEDA Tourism Capital Improvement Matching Fund was created to do,” VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher said in a release. “Sunset Holler Inc.’s plans to construct an amphitheater will do just that. At the same time, it will create jobs in the construction phase and jobs in the operational stage.”

The amphitheater will host live music performances, film screenings, speaking events, weddings, sporting events and more.

After construction, Sunset Holler plants to lease the facility to an operator/manager, according to the VCEDA. The company also plans for the amphitheater to be an affiliated venue of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.

Construction is expected to begin this fall and be completed by 2025, with the amphitheater’s first season beginning in spring 2026.

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