Lexington announces craft beer fest, completion date for Project Icehouse

Project Icehouse Amphitheater--the first phase of the Town of Lexington's vision plan--is near completion at 107 W. Main St. and with it, the Greater Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center has announced a celebration in the form of a craft beer festival.

"We hope Project Icehouse will become a downtown centerpiece in Lexington," Greater Lexington Chamber president and CEO Otis Rawl announced in a news conference at Old Mill Brewpub Tuesday morning, adding that the beer festival will, "help us expand the economy of Lexington and the number of visitors to the Town of Lexington."

The 900-seat Project Icehouse Amphitheater is at 90 percent completion to date with a target completion date and official grand opening on Oct. 11. The Lexington Craft Beerfest is scheduled for Oct. 15. Tickets are $30 for the event which will feature Zac Brown tribute band 20 RIDE and is currently scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Additional boutique retail and restaurants around the amphitheater are also part of the vision plan, according to Mayor Steve MacDougall, who said those businesses will further boost the revitalization of the downtown Lexington corridor.

Lexington Town Council approved the vision plan and Project Icehouse in May 2012 as a means to allow for connectivity in the downtown area through Lexington Square Park, Virginia Hylton Park, Lexington Municipal Complex and Palmetto Collegiate Institute.

This story was originally published September 20, 2016 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Lexington announces craft beer fest, completion date for Project Icehouse."