We are a community effort to build a performing arts center for Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro: live music, theater, dance and arts education, all in one place.
Join the founding listIllustration inspired by Staunton's giant steel watering can on Greenville Avenue.
Staunton sits in the Shenandoah Valley, with the Blue Ridge to the east and the Alleghenies to the west. It is a town that loves its stages, its history and its quirky public art.
One of our favorite neighbors is the oversized watering can at the entrance to downtown, made by local welding artist Willy Ferguson in 1999. We want a place that feels as much like home.
We are building in phases, so each step proves the audience before the next begins.
A 1,000-capacity amphitheater with a covered stage, lawn seating and a food truck court. It opens first and proves the audience.
A 1,000-capacity, flexible flat-floor hall with a VIP balcony and broadcast-ready production, built once the amphitheater seasons show the demand is there.
Each step has one clear giving goal. When we reach it, the next step unlocks.
Construction of the 1,000-capacity amphitheater and food truck court. It opens in Year 1.
Donated materials ($1.03M) and a loan ($1.03M) cover the rest of the $5.16M cost.
Keeps the amphitheater running while it builds a following.
Pledges for 90% of the hall’s funding. The amphitheater must also average 55% attendance, break even, hold $50K in cash and sign a multi-year anchor rental lease.
All tests must pass before the hall is built.
Construction of the 1,000-capacity indoor hall. It opens in Year 6, alongside the amphitheater.
Donated materials ($1.79M) and a loan ($7.17M) cover the rest of the $35.9M cost. Pledges from step 3 count toward this goal.
Sustains both venues: shows, education programs, staff and upkeep.
Goals are gifts, grants, government funds and tax-credit investment. Donated materials and loans cover the rest of each building's cost and are not part of the goal. Annual gifts to run the venues are separate from the building goal. Planning estimates in future-year dollars, from our financial model as of October 15, 2026.
Walk the hall in 3D: stand at the back of the house, look out from center stage, switch to an evening show, or step out to the amphitheater lawn.
Local artists and touring acts on a professional stage.
Classes and youth programs for students across the region.
Recitals, school events, weddings and meetings, with professional sound and lighting.
Regional vendors on site at every event.
Tell us how you'd like to be part of it. We'll write back with next steps.
Or write to us at info@valleystage.org.