As the summer concert season kicks off at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, city records show that tourist visits and corporate events have made the legendary venue a year-round attraction that draws more visitors than music lovers.
Last year, an estimated 500,000 people visited Red Rocks in the offseason, according to Denver’s Division of Theatres and Arenas, compared with the 350,000 people who attended concerts. The number of annual nonconcert visitors could top 1 million in the next five years.
The surge in offseason tourism is mainly due to the park’s $14 million visitor center, which opened in April 2003. In addition to a gift shop, restaurant and private party space, the 30,000-square-foot center features an interpretive hall on Red Rocks’ musical history.
It also houses geology and paleontology exhibits and historical information on the Civilian Conservation Corps, which built the amphitheater during the Depression.
“This is where I bring all of my out-of-town guests,” said David Frazier of Thornton, who brought his father, Joe Frazier, of Largo, Fla., to Red Rocks on Thursday. “The visitor center has been a great addition. It’s now part of what people want to see when they come to Colorado.”
Private parties are also an increasingly integral part of Red Rocks’ financial success. Last year, 175 private parties were held at Red Rocks, the majority of which were corporate events. Rental fees vary, but most rooms require a food and beverage minimum of at least $5,000.
Wells Fargo held an employee-recognition event at Red Rocks last fall that included a buffet dinner in the visitor center.
“It’s such a unique venue, and they’ve done a great job with the facility,” said Lauren Schwartz, events and sponsorships manager at Wells Fargo in Denver. “Our employees really seemed to enjoy it.”
But while Red Rocks’ facilities are being used more frequently in the offseason, the majority of its $1.6 million annual profits come from the summer concert season, which begins Friday with country singer Alan Jackson.
Of the more than 40 concerts scheduled this year at the amphitheater, located in the foothills west of Denver, the city gets a 10 percent seat tax on every ticket sold, plus additional revenue from venue rental fees. It also gets a percentage of parking, retail sales, and food and beverage concessions, which are contracted out to Aramark.
“The concert season is really the large moneymaker,” said Jack Finlaw, director of the Division of Theatres and Arenas, which operates the park.
The division is exploring other ways to lure tourists to Red Rocks.
The city is close to finalizing a deal with a major music magazine to produce a TV show featuring Red Rocks performances, called “Live and On the Rocks.” The show could start airing on a national cable outlet this fall, said Erik Dyce, director of marketing for the Division of Theatres and Arenas.
The city is also testing promoting a tour combining nearby attractions – such as the Coors brewery, Dinosaur Ridge and The Fort restaurant.
“The appetite is out there for Red Rocks,” Dyce said. “All of these efforts are absolutely to grow the tourism component.”
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
