Calsonic Arena crew members are quick change artists

Steve Holbert, Juan Bello and Jason Lynch of the Celebration's grounds and maintenance crew help set up Calsonic Arena for the Times-Gazette relish® Cooking Show and Expo. Not pictured is Mike Sanders. (Submitted photo) [Order this photo]

When Calsonic Arena opened in 1989, 20 years ago, officials from the Celebration and from the arena's benefactor and naming sponsor, Calsonic Manufacturing Corp. (now CalsonicKansei North America), said they hoped it would be not only a place for equestrian competition but also for a wide variety of events to benefit the community.

In the years since, the arena has played host to symphonies and circuses, to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and racing dune buggies, to high school and college graduations, to llamas and to "The Possum," George Jones.

It's also seen its share of horse shows, including morning classes at the Celebration and (until this year) the Spring Fun Show.

"It is an event facility, not an equestrian facility," said Jimmy Burton, arena marketing manager. It's an asset which allows Shelbyville to host many events which other similarly-sized communities can't.

Cooking and clowns

Next week, the facility will again show its versatility, and the skill of the grounds and maintenance crew which helps turn it around from one event to the next. On Tuesday, the arena will host the Times-Gazette's relish® Cooking Show and Expo. On Wednesday, it will play host to the Shrine Circus.

It's by no means the toughest turnaround the facility has seen. Last November, for example, the arena played host to the "Southern Truck-N-Bull Challenge," a combination bull-riding and dune buggy-racing event, on Saturday. On Sunday and Monday, the arena floor was transformed into a formal dining room, so that on Monday night, the Arnold Community Council could host Gen. Norton Schwartz, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force.

While it's the needs of customers that have resulted in those tight turnarounds, the Celebration itself scheduled one of the tightest turnarounds in the facility's history. One year, the Celebration decided to hold a hall of fame banquet on the eve of the Spring Fun Show, requirng crews to work all through the night transforming the arena floor and setting up center ring for the horse show.

"Those are tough turnarounds," said Burton.

People and materials

He praised maintenance supervisor Wade Adams and his crew, the size of which varies according to the season from as few as four to as many as 12. David Nash is security and arena manager for the Celebration.

It's the arena floor itself which is one key to the building's versatility. The surface is a finely-ground limestone called "quarter-down," which can be compacted into a concrete-like surface, fluffed up for horse shows requiring a soft track, or even mounded to make ramps and curves for monster trucks or BMX bicycles. At one Hall of Fame banquet, said Burton, the crew had the luxury of extra time for compacting and smoothing out the floor, and had it so smooth and solid that guests were sure it had been covered with some sort of mat or other surface.

Other multi-purpose facilities, said Burton, have to haul dirt in, lay it down on a concrete floor, and then haul it back out again.

Concerts and more

Last winter's Hal Ketchum concert in the arena was organized by United Way of the Highland Rim, although it also raised funds for United Way of Bedford County. Burton said that concert directly led to two different calls about the possibility of future concerts in the arena.

In the 1990s, a series of country concerts was held in the arena, the first and most successful of which featured country music legend George Jones.

In recent years, the arena has hosted the graduations for Cascade and Shelbyville Central high schools, and it hosted the graduation for Motlow State Community College for three years until a state-mandated change in graduation date created a scheduling conflict.

Each spring, the arena plays host to the Nashville Symphony, which performs a family-friendly concert including guest performers from area schools.

Just this month, the arena hosted the North American Dog Agility Championships, with dogs from 41 different states and Canada participating.

"It kind of flew under the radar to the local community," said Burton. It also led to another busy turnaround, as the dog show ended at 6:30 p.m. on a Sunday and the Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association championships began the next day.

Burton said the facility averages 35-40 events per year but is expecting an uptick next year. In the past, the arena was shut down for most of December and wasn't rented in August during the run-up to the Celebration. Burton said the Celebration is becoming more flexible on both of those blackout periods.

Next week

* The relish® Cooking Show and Expo will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Calsonic Arena, with the cooking demonstration at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Times-Gazette; Argie Cooper Public Library; Bella Donna Salon; Bell Buckle Café; Carolyn's; Heritage Jewelers; Kincaid Service Company; and WRL Market and Deli. They will not be available at the door.

* The Shrine Circus will have performances 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the arena. Advance tickets are available from Thomas Smith, 703-3223, or Ralph Allen, 684-2855.

For a complete list of upcoming events at Calsonic Arena, go to calsonicarena.com.