Construction of Yelm City Park’s concert stage is set to conclude by Nov. 27, just in time to celebrate Yelm’s annual Christmas in the Park event. The holiday celebration is set for Saturday, Dec. 27 at the park and will feature the newly built stage.
Yelm City Council approved a contract valued at $340,000 with Nisqually Construction LLC on Feb. 28 for the design and construction of the stage. The contract also includes installation of sound equipment, stage lighting, electricity reroutes and additional lighting around the park.
“Construction is moving along extremely quickly. Everything is planned to be finished by November 27, just in time for Christmas in the Park,” Public Works Director Cody Colt said. “The idea is that’s where the kids will perform. The bands and the choir will perform on the stage.”
Colt added that this contract is the city’s first partnership with Nisqually Construction LLC.
“It’s amazing to have a local construction company, within a close radius, that when we need services in construction – we’ve already developed a relationship to tap into,” Colt said. “It’s always nice to have that.”
City staff had hoped the new stage would be completed in time for the Veterans Day concert event but had to move it to in front of the Yelm Community Center as work will not be finished by then.
“We always knew (the stage) was going to be done by Christmas in the Park. We had hoped it’d be done by Veterans Day, but the steel and electrical parts took longer to get. It won’t be fully assembled for Veterans Day,” Colt said. “We knew it was a lofty goal, but the contracted goal was Christmas in the Park.”
The City of Yelm’s Parks and Recreation Department has more events on tap for the new stage.
Colt said that Line Roy, Yelm Parks and Recreation coordinator, is planning a concert series for the summer of 2024. He added Jazz in the Park, Nisqually Valley Barbecue Rally and other events will utilize the stage as well.
