2023 Annual Comprehensive Report

$11 million and $12 million respectively. Tanger Center’s second season, July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023, drew 382,620 patrons and was comprised of 251 events and performances that included 59 sold-out shows.

The footprint design of the Tanger Center has been coordinated with the new LeBauer Park, a $10 million privately built facility that was gifted to the City and opened in August 2016. The park site is in proximity to the Tanger Center and features the largest outdoor art sculpture in the Southeast, funded by a $1 million dollar grant and designed by internationally recognized artist, Janet Echelman. The park includes a 17,000 square foot event lawn space with its aerial sculpture, a children’s garden with reading materials from a book cart, an interactive water feature that serves as an ice skating rink in the winter, and a dog park equipped with specially engineered turf and anti-microbial backing. The garden pavilion can accommodate concerts and other events with a nearby putting green where visitors can practice their golf skills. This entire project is considered by many to be a key component to vibrancy of the arts community as a whole in the City. Greensboro was selected from among thirty-two applications to host the annual National Folk Festival from 2015 to 2017. The free, three-day outdoor event attracted roughly 400,000 visitors over its three-year run, generating an economic impact between $12 to $15 million per year, based on audience surveys and other data. The 2017 event drew more than 162,000 attendees, an increase of 58% from 2015. The legacy festival included over 30 acts of music, dance, and other events at seven locations across downtown Greensboro. The event also utilized the LeBauer Park, located across from the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, as one of the eight venues. With the success of the national festival, the City has continued the event as a statewide, admission free festival, funded by sponsorships, donations and fees paid by participating vendors. The City celebrated with the three-day North Carolina Folk Festival in 2018 and 2019 and was held virtually in 2020 due to the pandemic. The festival returned to an in-person event beginning in 2021. The eastern entrance to the City showcases the newest addition to Greensboro’s collection of beautiful parks and gardens, Gateway Gardens , another public/private venture which will ultimately spanning 11 acres. Phase I of the $8 million project has been completed and includes the main entrance and a 5,100 square-foot Visitor’s Center along with rain garden, pond, children’s garden and heritage garden with unique public artwork displayed throughout the park. Phase II will include a Japanese garden, wedding and special event garden and white oak forest. This project is funded with $2.5 million in City bond funds, $2 million in private contributions and a $500,000 grant.

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