On one end of town was the Main Street Bank Fantasy of Lights Parade and on the other end was world-renowned comic Jerry Seinfeld paying another sold-out visit to the Capitol Theatre.
That was Friday night. Last night.
This evening? In downtown Wheeling? Well, the Wheel Fortune Live road show is on stage at the Capitol, and the locally popular Roadhog Band will perform at the recently renovated Bridge Tavern & Grill. Both events begin at 7 p.m. in a downtown district rumored to offer nothing but discomfort and despair.
“Listen, there may be orange barrels and construction everywhere right now because of the streetscape and other projects, but that’s not stopping anyone when it comes to entertainment in downtown Wheeling,” said Ben Seidler, the council member who represents Wheeling Island, North Wheeling, and the Fulton area. “People complain because that’s what people do, but there’s still a ton happening in downtown.
“The streetscape is long overdue. It has to happen before we see more progress in our downtown, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons to go see hockey games or shows or to have a terrific meal in our downtown,” he said. “Those businesses are open, the detours are easy to follow, and the shows are top-notch.”
The Wheeling Nailers are scheduled to return to their home ice in Wesbanco Arena on Thanksgiving Eve against Toledo, and the team will battle Iowa on Saturday and Sunday. On Nov. 30th, the annual “Symphony on Ice” will take place at the arena, and then on Saturday, Dec. 2, Ice Nine Kills will perform at the venue, as well.
“Last night was a busy night for downtown Wheeling, and tonight will be, too,” said Kyle Knox, marketing director for the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority. “The rest of November will be jam-packed, too, and we have a lot going on in December. It may seem like we’re just busy now, but I believe we’re going to see a lot more shows at the arena in 2024. I really do.
“We’ve already announced the Dropkick Murphys and Pennywise for March 2nd, and ‘Disney on Ice,’ a lot of hockey, and a lot of sporting events are on the arena’s schedule right now, and we have a lot of shows coming to the Capitol Theatre, too,” he said. “People can say all they want that there’s nothing to do in Wheeling, but they must not be looking hard enough.”
A Co-Promotion Pot of Gold
Just as Denny Magruder was completing 36.5 years as the general manager of arena and theatre, a majority of the city’s council approved his brainchild to provide funds for “co-promotional” partnerships to secure performers for the two venues.
Magruder, one of three announced candidates in the upcoming race to be the City of Wheeling’s next mayor, has been thrilled to see new Authority Executive Director Kelly Tucker booking additional entertainment on the schedule thanks to such agreements.
“I have been so happy for her and her team because we fought for that system for a lot of years and it’s been great to see it become successful,” he said. “Now, there are some acts where that program won’t needed because the events have always been successful in this market, but when you have a promoter going out on a limb, it’s easier for them to move forward when the venue has some skin in the game.”
Knox concurred.
“The Co-Pro system allows there to be a lot more conversations about possible events, that’s for sure,” the marketing director explained. “Let’s face it, for some of the acts, there’s a chance for losses, but when that does happen, we’re able to soften the blow so they don’t write off Wheeling in the future because their first show didn’t work out financially.
“But you also have shows like Jerry Seinfeld that are no-brainers for everyone involved. His people need absolutely no help from us to be successful in Wheeling,” Knox said. “And every single one of the 2,320 seats was full.”
The primary tenant for Wesbanco Arena is, of course, the Wheeling Nailers, the professional hockey team that arrived in Wheeling in 1991 as the Thunderbirds. Wheeling is the longest-tenured team in the ECHL, and the franchise is an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Their opening night was a tremendous success, and they are great folks to work with,” Knox said. “And the renovations to the arena so far have been made are making positive differences already, and there’s a lot more to come. That I can tell you for sure.
“We will continue to tease our announcement because it’s fun. It starts all the guessing games, and that’s fun,” he added. “But yes, we’re working on a lot of great stuff for 2024.”
