Kenan Center to celebrate grand-opening of $16.5M Kenan Civic Arena

Daylong festival features ribbon-cutting, music, mural painting, youth sports, more than 75 local vendors

Kenan Center press release & image

The Kenan Center will open the doors of its new facility, the Kenan Civic Arena, on Saturday, Sept. 5, with a free, family-friendly celebration running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The 70,000-square-foot arena is the largest capital project in the Kenan Center's history, a $16.5 million investment made possible largely through the generosity of private donors. Construction broke ground in the fall of 2025 and wraps up just in time for its public debut.

Built to host large-scale events and gatherings, the Kenan Civic Arena will serve as the largest event space in Niagara County, and one of the largest in Western New York. The new facility houses a fitness center, turf field, sport courts, concessions, classrooms, a computer lab, community rooms, dance and art studios, and a front desk to the Kenan Center's campus, expanding the organization's ability to serve Lockport-area families with recreation and community programming year-round.

"The Kenan Civic Arena is going to change what is possible in Lockport," CEO Bill Patti said. “It will bring thousands of people into our community, create new opportunities for kids and families, support our local economy, and give organizations across Western New York a place to compete, create, perform and connect. We believe this facility will become a destination, but most importantly, it will always belong to the community that built it.”

Opening day is designed as a celebration for the whole community. The event kicks off with a ribbon-cutting and presentation, followed by a full slate of entertainment and activity throughout the arena and across the Kenan Center campus.

Musician Dave Turner performs at 11 a.m., followed by a set from The Strictly Hip at 1:30 p.m. Local artist Nikki Milley will paint a live mural throughout the day and raffle off an original painting, with proceeds split between Milley and the Kenan Center.

The arena's new turf field and sport courts get their first action from the community, with local youth sports teams playing on the schedule throughout the day.

Outside, more than 75 local vendors will set up shop, with the celebration moving indoors to the old arena in the event of rain. That original arena space will also host a Kenan Arena yard sale, offering a nod to the building's history as the new chapter begins.

"For almost 60 years, our old arena has been there for this community to play, to gather, and to celebrate,” Chief Operating Officer Lea Sobieraski said. “This new arena carries that same spirit forward. It means Lockport and Western New York families will have a place to gather for generations to come, and that this community’s story keeps being written here.”

The Kenan Civic Arena grand-opening is free and open to the public. For more information, visit kenancenter.org.

More about the Kenan Center: The Kenan Center is a nonprofit community center in Lockport offering programming across performing arts, early childhood education, youth sports and camps, fine arts events, and community recreation.